Somewhere
by Irena Goddess of Imagination
Summary: Soldiers aren't the only human weapons of Hydra. They've tried to tame a power that only grows stronger as you try to control it. And this power may just help Bucky escape the grips of Hydra and link together his forgotten past. Semi-alternate universe. Starts somewhere around the events of CATWS. M for violence.
1. If I Only

Author's Note: For those returning to this story, you'll notice that I changed the character's first name. For those reading it for the first time now, ignore this note. Have a nice day.

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An accident, just one little mistake. That's all it took, all it took for Hell to turn loose. It all started with a smile.

"Get her down! Down let her move her hands! Not at all!" The Hydra guard shouted to the others.

The "Her" in question was in a strait jacket and a Hannibal Lecter-esque mask, but putting up a Hell of a fight. She, Caroline Gale Mortel, as her file read, was tugging and pulling and yanking against at least four guards as they tried to shove her into the wheelchair. She made muffled noises that would have been screams if her mouth hadn't been covered. That was a precaution they took because of her history of biting the guards. One had to have three surgeries to reconstruct his fingers after an encounter with her.

Running out of patience, the boss stepped up and cracked Caroline over the head with his baton and she fell to the floor for the rest of the guards to drag her back up and prop her up in the wheelchair. They quickly tied down her hands and feet while her now throbbing head dipped low to her side.

They wheeled her down, through the long corridors of the Hydra base, past the arsenals, the labs of human experiments, all the way through the filthy gray floors and to one prison cell in particular. Caroline's escorts came to a halt in front of the door.

"Now if you try anything…" a guard warned, flinging his gun about threateningly. Her mask was removed.

She kept silent, but glared at him with eyes that could burn through human flesh. _Yeah, as if. You know if things were different, I could have you dead before you hit the ground_ , her thoughts screamed, urging to get out, but she kept herself in eerie calm.

The guards opened the cell doors to what Caroline would later name the most pitiful sight she had ever seen. Five or six more Hydra guards were beating down a man who looked like he had already been through Hell. His long dark hair was scraggly and windblown. He was panting for breath and drops of sweat flung off him as he tried to fight off the guards. What was worst, though, was that one guard held a long metal rod that surged with electricity and made the man groan in pain as it touched him. With his metal arm, he reminded Caroline of the Tin Man with the witch's flying monkeys terrorizing him. The Tin Man was always her favorite as a child. Caroline might have cried for him if she hadn't been so adamant about not showing any signs of weakness. Still, she found it difficult to hide the pain for him from her face as he tried to punch his way out, only to be hit himself.

Like her, though, he was putting up a good fight. Alas, Hydra was much stronger in numbers than these two.

"Put him down, now!" a guard shouted at Caroline.

"How?" she asked with a bit more bitterness than she should have as a person with a gun pointed at her face.

"Any way! Just make him stop! Knock him out if you have to!"

She was a little rusty with her power, but wanting to survive, she focused her eyes on the struggling man. All at once, he slowed down and returned the gaze. Caroline tilted her head a bit and tried focusing harder. The guards took their opportunity and dragged the man back to a chair against the wall.

Caroline took a few steps closer to him, causing the guards to raise their weapons defensively for a second, but they did not shoot.

"Wipe his memory," a guard ordered Caroline.

"What parts?"

"Any you can find."

"I've never done that before." True, though she had come close with a couple of unlucky guards before.

"You're special. Figure it out." He answered with snarky bite.

The Hydra scientists had tried to identify her powers many times before, telepathy, then telekinesis, then it was psychokinesis, until it eventually grew into a confusing mass of seemingly dissimilar descriptions that were only observed in isolated instances over the years. The truth was, they didn't fully understand her power, though they tried to make it seem like they did. And with equal truth, Caroline didn't completely understand her gifts, either. Especially since for the past four, five (she had trouble keeping track of time, being cut-off from the rest of the world and all) years, her powers had been more or less controlled by Hydra. However, Caroline knew deep down that if she had free range with her powers, she could have burned down the Hydra base years ago. Something in her, call it instinct, intuition, whatever, told her that her powers were getting stronger every day as she got older. The Hydra agents were very careful to try to control their thoughts around her, for they could never reveal the precious information that even they were unsure if they could hold her for much longer. That's why Caroline knew to keep just the degree of her power hidden, waiting for just the right moment to release them. She knew that if they knew that they could no longer keep her under control, they wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in her head.

One day. One day her chance would come. She would just have to be patient. But she had been patient since she was fourteen.

Finally, she stood close enough to touch him. He recoiled a bit in instinctive fear, but she kept on approaching.

"It's okay. Just relax." She attempted at being calming, but she was a bit nervous herself. No. Nervous wasn't the correct word. Afraid? No, that wasn't right either. Of course, she was surrounded people ever-so-ready to shoot her if she didn't do her job right and she was face-to-face with their human weapon who was obviously unstable at the moment. Yet, fear wasn't the thing that was nagging at her. She pinpointed it: guilt.

She hated switching roles and helping keep someone else captive, but it's not like she had much of a choice. Even if she could use her power to defend herself (which could be difficult since bullets may fly faster than her powers worked), there would be no guarantee that this man would come out alive, too. For now at least, captivity was a better alternative than death.

"I need to touch him for it to work." She told the nearest guard.

The guard looked to his boss apprehensively. The boss nodded for him to go ahead. He began to remove Caroline's strait jacket. Only, another guard came forward and held his gun even closer, almost poking her in the back.

Caroline reached out to touch his cheek, a gesture that must have been so foreign to him since he couldn't take his eyes off her hand. He acted like she was holding a knife in front of his face.

Once skin made contact with skin, Caroline and the man looked to the ceiling as they shared visions from his past. It was mostly gunshots. He was Hydra's attack dog that they kept on a short leash while he did their dirty work against his will. Just like her. Her pity and agonizing empathy for him was almost overbearing, but she pushed it aside and pushed on.

Most prominently in his mind was confusion, but fear and pain were also noticeable, mixed in with a bit of anger, but that faded into the background of the larger scheme. All negative sensations, but Caroline also noticed just a hint of something else as she reached to the deeper recesses of his mind. She couldn't see any clear memories, except for a single word, a name: Bucky.

That was all she could get for now, but that was all she needed. It was just a little seed to plant that, with some nurturing, would hopefully grow. She sent the one-word message to his conscious mind. Their eyes met for just a split second and she knew that he, Bucky, had received the message.

"Well get on with it," rushed a guard.

Reluctantly, she began the process of erasing his memory.

His head sank lower and lower and his eyelids drooped as if falling asleep, but he remained conscious.

 _I shouldn't be so gentle_ , she told herself. She could have made the process painful. Showing any hint of affection for anyone or anything in this place was a danger. All they would do is use it against you. Still, she couldn't restrain herself from having a bit of a soft spot for this stranger. He was, after all, in the same position as her. She had to be at least a little sympathetic.

When it was all over, he sat there completely still like a living corpse. Yet, he took a breath that reassured that he was still a living human being. That was a little comfort to Caroline.

And there was one word on his mind: Bucky. Now he only had to figure out what that name meant.


	2. Funhouse

Author's Note: WARNING This is the chapter where most of the violent stuff happens, so if you're uncomfortable with it, I'd recommend just skipping to the second to last paragraph. Also, to help set the tone for this chapter, I recommend listening to P!nk, especially the _Funhouse_ album. Enjoy!

* * *

Over the next few days, Bucky's little glimmer of hope kept Caroline going. Outwardly, she was quieter and more stoic than ever, but her mind was buzzing with possibilities. Through exactly two beatings, three hunger pains, and four interrogations, Caroline kept up her morale that soon her time was coming.

Alexander Douche Bag Pierce sat across from her at the interrogation table with the most annoying poker face ever.

"You know, if you don't talk now, we have methods of extracting information from you without your consent," he said.

Caroline responded with the same deadpan face as she had to his every other statement.

"This is your last chance to talk. What did you get from the Soldier's mind? We know there's something you're not telling us."

Finally, Caroline splurged on a few words that would only excite their suspicion, but she couldn't keep it in anymore. "I'm gonna get out of here and kill all of you myself." Her voice sounded so childlike, which made hairs stand on end when she spoke.

Pierce stood, tugged on his jacket lapels like a good gentleman, and said, "That will be all for today. Get her out of here."

Before the guards came in to collect her, Caroline looked to the giant one-way mirror on the wall and made eye contact with every single one of the people she wasn't supposed to see on the other side. The slightest grin appeared on her face.

Several guards came to remove her from the interrogation room. She was a bit rough with them, but complied.

And here's where the accident came in. If it hadn't been for one careless action from a planner, it would not have happened. Someone should have known not to have Caroline and the Winter Soldier cross paths in the same corridor without the proper protection or sufficient number of people to guard them.

To Caroline's happy surprise, Bucky seemed to recognize her. He was once again struggling against several Hydra agents, though not as violently as before. Caroline stayed calm as to not draw suspicion. However, she made a point to smile at him, giving him just enough signal to understand what she needed. Once they came shoulder-to-shoulder, Bucky shoved up against Caroline and her guards. He was instantly struck down with the electric rod.

But that little jolt gave Caroline the prefect opportunity to jiggle her restraints just loose enough for her hands to be freed.

Bucky was hurt, but Caroline wiggled her fingers and the rest of her restraints were off. She waved her hands and all of the guards were thrown against the walls. They tried to recover and scramble for their guns, but Caroline tore them all away with her mind. A pant grew in her chest and rose up into a loud cackle as she smashed a few agents to the ground.

One agent grabbed his walkie talkie and frantically shouted into it, "The prisoner! The prisoner is—" but he was cut off by his gun smacking him in the face and likely breaking his nose. The rest of the guards then made an attempt to tackle her, but she quickly threw them to the wall with her mind and giggled a little schoolgirl's giggle.

One agent made to pull an alarm on a wall, but Bucky promptly shot him in the face.

"What did you do that for? I want them to come." she asked him. Oh well, she'd have to put on a show for them and get their attention.

She slid the agents' knives from their suits and had them floating midair aimed at the agents. With an easy flick of her hand, sent the knives flying into their throats. One particularly irritating guard, who was choking up his own blood, deserved some special treatment from Caroline. She shook his shoulders and slammed his head against the floor until he went limp and the eyes were unseeing.

Aware that someone behind a desk was watching her every movement on a screen, she decided to poke some fun at them. She went over to one of the corpses, dipped her hands in his blood, and stuck her face directly at the camera, giggling. She smeared her red fingers below her eyes, giving her the appearance of war paint. That was the last horrifying image the person monitoring the screens saw before she made the camera explode.

She trotted out of the corridor, prepared to face whatever Hydra had to throw at her next. Bucky followed behind, not exactly sure of what to do next, but positive that he wanted to get out of there more than anything.

At least two dozen armed guards were waiting for them. "Here's where the fun begins," said Caroline.

She clenched her fists and the whole structure rumbled, creating a crack in the ceiling that crept over to the guards. Pieces of the ceiling fell on top of them, killing or knocking out some. Caroline raised her hands and all the lights burst. Sparks flew down in a shower that Caroline savored. She danced around the little specks of light.

Just as the surviving guards were about to shoot, Bucky stepped into action and mercilessly beat them to the ground. The ones that were able to rise after that were thrown into the broken ceiling lights, either by Bucky's hand or Caroline's mind.

By this point, sirens were blaring and lights were flashing. Bucky stayed on guard, twitching and constantly eyeing for danger, but Caroline couldn't stop smiling. To her, the sirens were music, the lights were her disco effects, and the entire facility, her dance floor.

Caroline trotted on, taking her sweet time as she pranced over and around the bodies on the floor. She was so engrossed in thought and bliss that Bucky tackling her to the floor came as a shock. She was at first confused, until she saw the guards shooting at them. Bucky's arm had perfectly shielded them.

Hydra seemed to be learning from its mistakes; the new guards were concealed in clunky metal suits that made them almost resemble Iron Man. Caroline made a _pop_ sound with her lips as it gave her an idea. She clenched her fists, and the metal suits were crushed like cars becoming scrap metal. The suits, and the people inside were turned into thin poles.

"Ha! Ha! Squished your lungs!" she taunted.

"They're coming. Let's move!" Bucky said as he heard footsteps advancing from behind them.

Before they could take another step, they were trapped by laser beams. Red bars of light surrounded them and they could not move on. Bucky scanned the area for a way out or something they could use to protect themselves from the burning beams, but Caroline was already on top of a solution. She held out her hands in the directions of the walls and made her hands into fists like she was grasping something. She pulled her arms in and all the wires in the walls came bursting out and the electricity was lost. The wires were broken and sparking at their frayed edges. Bucky and Caroline were safe to proceed.

They soon came to the top of a stairwell. Caroline glanced over the edge of a railing, then turned back to Bucky and said, "Meet me downstairs, okay?" and she jumped. The flights of stairs flew past her and air rushed through her hair. It was enough to give anyone an exhilarating adrenaline rush, and Caroline was no exception. She giggled in glee, and just before she hit the ground, she froze herself midair, then turned herself upwards into a standing position.

The scene before her was one of a laboratory and horrified-looking people in lab coats scrambled for something to protect themselves. One courageous scientist came at Caroline with a syringe. Stupid, pitiful man. Doesn't he know that his attempts are useless?

With her mind, she made his feet fall out from beneath him and his face was planted into the floor. She stepped onto his back and kicked his spine. Several other scientists made an attempt to tackle her, but she took one down with a scalpel that was lying in the lab counter top and the rest she threw into the wall. Objects began flying in every direction across the room and stuck themselves into the walls. She leaped onto the counter with an animal-like landing, a feat that would not have been possible for her without a telekinetic boost. She picked up the first flask of something she could find and threw it at the scientists. The glass shattered on one man's face and its liquid leaked over his skin. It must have been some kind of acid because he couldn't stop screaming and writhing in pain and a bit of the skin sizzled.

Caroline laughed at him; she thought he looked ridiculous. The remaining scientists ran for a door and Caroline let them go so she could have more fun with them later. She counted to ten in her mind, then followed them through the door.

She couldn't see any of them in the lab next door, but could sense signatures from their minds, like a trail of scent. They must be hiding for their lives.

"Great idea! Let's play hide and seek!" she said, knowing they could all hear her. She crept around, looking for them. She thought of the scene in _Jurassic Park_ where the kids hide in the kitchen with the raptors hunting them. It was cool being the velociraptor.

She clicked the scalpel on the counter, and the sound must have frightened someone because she heard a rustling noise from one of the cabinets below. She flipped the door open and found a quivering person in a lab coat shrieking in fear. She grabbed him by the neck and pulled him out (again, something she would not have been physically strong enough to do without her powers). She found a needle and made it jump into her hand.

"I wanna kill you thiiiiiiiiis much," said Caroline, holding her arms wide open. She then drove the needle through his neck.

It wasn't long after that Bucky found her, in the middle of a sea of blood. He hardly flinched at the little mounds of bodies on the floor. However, he did feel a little flash of- dare he admit it- fear when he slowly approached Caroline, stabbing and beating an already-dead scientist. He felt apprehensive to interrupt her, like an animal taking down its prey, he couldn't predict how she would react. When she sensed his presence, though, she gave him a welcoming smile and looked up from her kill.

"We need to get out of here. They'll be coming for us," said Bucky.

"Let them come. I want them to see what happens when you try to harness power you can't control. They had it coming."

"Yes, they do, but if we want to live, we need to go, right now."

He was cut off then by more gunshots (shocker), but this time, Caroline did not kill them instantly. She merely disarmed them and asked the group of guards a question. "Where is Pierce?"

"Why would we tell you?" said one guard.

With one finger snap, Caroline pulled his heart up into his throat and he collapsed instantly. "That's why."

"He's long gone by now," said another.

"False," she countered, having read his mind to detect the lie.

Realizing defeat, the guards decided to make their final stand to keep Hydra's information a secret. They all turned and shot each other.

"Dammit," said Caroline. "Oh well, there's plenty more where they came from."

She was partially correct. Though, she had hurt Hydra's numbers, and fewer and fewer guards came to confront them each time. With every one, she put her hands to their temples, searching for Pierce's location in their minds and asking, "Where the fuck is Pierce?!"

After draining information from, and then killing at least a dozen agents, she hadn't gotten any farther. Losing patience, she decided to experiment with her powers. She sat on the floor and focused as she tried to search for Pierce's telepathic signature in the compound. He was either gone, knew how to shield himself from such kind of searches, or her powers were not capable of finding him, because she found no trace of him in the facility.

Then she realized- no she shouldn't ask. Maybe Bucky knew, but she didn't want to accidentally confuse him even more. Ugh, she couldn't help it. "Do you think Pierce is still around here somewhere?"

He closed his eyes in concentration and after a moment, he answered, "No, they'd keep me blind to things like that."

Caroline sighed. "Well, we might as well re-energize ourselves while we have the chance," she said. She gestured to the sign that read "cafeteria."

The kitchen was easy to clear out- she dunked one guy's head in a pot of boiling water and made good use of the kitchen's knives for the rest. Not even Hydra's cooks were innocent in her eyes, so nothing really hurt her conscience.

The halls of the Hydra compound were quieter than ever. If there was anyone left in the building, they were doing the smart thing and hiding. Caroline sat herself down and ate everything in sight, and what she didn't eat, she stuffed in a backpack from a dead guard (granola bars, water bottles, things like that).

"Here, sit," she invited Bucky to join her.

Confused out of his mind, he accepted.

"I feel sooo much better. Thanks for helping me get out. I'm sorry for erasing your memory earlier; they would've killed me, but I can help you get those memories back."

"What do you know about me?"

She paused, not wanting to disturb him by revealing everything to him all at once, so she kept it simple for the time being. "I know you're like me, you were Hydra's weapon. I'll need to look again to get anything else."

They spoke as if they were co-workers on a lunch break, not killers surrounded by rivers of blood.

Suddenly, Caroline's ears perked up. She knew that mind anywhere. It made her sick.

Caroline bolted out of her seat and followed the trail. She softened her steps as she drew closer. Soon, she came up behind the man-monster himself: Alexander Pierce.

He was carrying a briefcase, attempting to escape the compound unseen. He was about to step out a back door. Too bad for him; it's not his lucky day. "Ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?"

Pierce turned around to face her and merely sighed like this was all a minor inconvenience. "I suppose you're here to kill me now."

"This is what you wanted all along, isn't it? For me to become a monster by my own choice. Well, congratulations. You got what you wished for. Now I'm gonna make you regret it." She forced the human devil into the wall, leaving little cracks in it. He stumbled and nearly fell, obviously shaken, but kept a little smug grin on his face.

"You know what your problem is? You are born expecting freedom." Caroline knew he wasn't only speaking about her specifically.

She ignored his last comment. "All those hours you had me locked alone in a dark room, didn't you ever think I'd be planning what I'd do when I killed you?" With another telekinetic blast, she knocked him to the floor. Most people would be ashamed of her for doing so. You weren't supposed to hurt someone so old and frail, but this man was inhuman, hardly weak at all, and certainly not worthy of any compassion.

"Why can't you just realize that free will is only a burden?"

"What did you do to the Soldier?" She asked purposefully.

"Oh, nothing he wouldn't appreciate if he was in his right mind."

"You took his soul away."

"You make me sound like I'm some kind of bad guy." He sounded like a strict grandfather chastising his fussy granddaughter.

"Okay. I'm gonna kill you now." She waved her hand, and he coughed up a bit of blood, but then the sound of helicopters stopped her there.

Bucky frantically entered and called to her, "They called for backup! Come with me, now!"

Caroline looked back to Pierce, who looked pathetic and proud at the same time, and made the instinct-defying decision to leave him there. She wanted more than anything to finish him, but he certainly wasn't worth dying over. She ran to Bucky, after breaking one of Pierce's legs first, of course.

Bucky and Caroline dashed down the halls, but with his superior training and enhancements, he quickly out ran her. No matter. She just lifted her feet of the ground and glided across the air the rest of the way. Bucky led her to Hydra's garage and they hopped in the first car they found: a black one that looked plain and generic to blend into any surroundings.

"Drive. I'll hold them off." He said as he lifted a massive gun that he'd stolen from a dead guard.

Caroline stared with wide eyes at the steering wheel. "Uh. I can't drive. I've been stuck in there since I was fourteen. Here's an idea: you drive and I'll defend us." She climbed into the backseat.

Like a boss, Bucky crashed through the garage door and sped off. Caroline stood on her knees in the backseat and stuck her hands out the back window. Several helicopters were quickly coming up behind them, one shooting at the car. To solve, this, Caroline simply turned the helicopter around so it shot at the other helicopters.

Her flashbacks, being locked in a dark room, tied up, hit by guards, called things she couldn't repeat, powers being used for God-knows-what, and the thoughts of everything she could have done with the past few years instead of being a prisoner, were fuel to the fire. With every image of those thoughts that flashed across her mind, she wreaked more havoc, bursts of rage. One helicopter was forced into another and they both crashed in flames. She slammed the rest into the walls of the Hydra compound. With gritted teeth and all the focus she could summon, she made the structure of the compound rattle. A little drip of blood streamed from her nose. Her fingers tensed up into curls. With one final burst of energy and an animal-like growl, the walls of Hydra's base collapsed. She hoped Pierce was still stuck inside.

When it was all over and the danger had passed, Caroline was drained. She blinked, then passed out right there. Bucky turned back and pressed his fingers to her neck to make sure she had a pulse. She would be fine.

He had no idea where he was going, no idea who this mystery girl unconscious in the back seat really was, no idea who he even was, but something told him to keep going. If this girl's powers could fight of Hydra longer, and she could help him discover more about himself, she would be useful. She could stick around a little bit longer. He only hoped that she would be willing to help, and wondered if he even wanted to know what Hydra kept hidden from him.

* * *

Another Author's Note: I have big hopes for this story, but I will need a little help with it. If it's no trouble, I would like you to please list in a review the top 3-10 of what you think are the most important songs, musical artists, or groups of the last 70 years. If you had to summarize the past 7 decades in a few songs or artists, which would you pick? Any help is appreciated. I will try to include as many as possible, but I will also say outright that I'm a little biased to '70's and '80's music. Thank you and happy reading!


	3. Sweet Caroline Rock And Roll All Nite

The light reflecting off the gleaming metal arm made Caroline squint when she opened her eyes. Judging by the position of the sun, she hadn't been out for long. The sun. It had been so long since she'd seen it. Hydra seemed to have something against windows and they rarely ever took Caroline away from the compound. She sighed, elated at her new freedom, but unsure of what she wanted to do with it now that she had it. Bucky sat still as a statue in the driver's seat, looking straight ahead with blank eyes.

She sat up and pulled herself into the passenger's seat. "Well, that was exciting," she said, trying to lighten the mood a bit, but Bucky didn't seem to respond much to her frivolity. Okay, maybe jokes weren't his thing. She got down to business. "Do you know where you're going?"

"No. I just needed to get as far away from that place as possible."

"Me too. I'm sure they'll be after us, though."

"Yes."

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Caroline Mortel. Call me Carrie."

"I guess my name is Bucky, at least that's what you told me."

"Yeah. Sorry I couldn't give you more. It was too risky with everyone watching us."

"Do you think you could really find out more about me?"

"Oh, definitely, but it'll take some time."

"Are you one of Hydra's experiments?" He asked casually.

"No. I was born like this. Well, I didn't really notice anything until I was fourteen. That's when they came for me."

"Sorry." Although he and she both knew that he had ultimately suffered worse at the hands of Hydra.

"That's okay." Even though it wasn't. "Can I ask you something? Why did you trust me? I mean, I could be a spy for all you know."

He almost cracked half a smile. "Why would Hydra send a spy for me? They could take me in at any time, or just kill me. I don't have any valuable information and I don't even know who I am. But you were just the first person who didn't seem like you wanted to kill me."

"What do you remember?"

"I remember I had a mission, but there was something _different_ about this one, I don't know what. Like going through with it would feel wrong. It's strange, I'm not supposed to feel anything about a mission. I'm just supposed to take orders, but this time it's like waking up from a dream." He stopped suddenly, unsure of why he was now spilling out all his thoughts to this stranger, a kid. Never mind. Just focus on the road.

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Just outside of Washington, D.C."

"Look, is there any chance you could take me to Chicago? I have family there. At least, I did last time I checked. God, what day is it?"

Bucky furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "I don't know either. And I'll take you to Chicago if you help me remember. How soon can we start?"

"Well I don't want you to freak out while you're driving or anything."

So, he pulled over to the side of the tiny, empty country road.

Carrie took a deep breath, "Now just try to stay calm. We don't know what we're going to find." She reached out to touch his head, making him shift uncomfortably in the most subtle way, but he allowed her to proceed.

Like the last time, she saw mostly conflict. Noise and fire. The image was blurry, but she saw something very red. No, red and white and blue.

That was enough for now.

"Whoa. Okay. Do you know anyone who dresses up in what looks like an American flag?" Capt- no way. That couldn't be it.

"Wait." He closed his eye in concentration. This was good. This was very good. He was learning to piece things together on his own, to dig for them in his own mind. "I knew him."

"Who is he?"

"He was a mission, but something happened." He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and stress.

"Okay, let's stop for now. These things take time. We'll figure it out, but I don't want you to strain yourself in the process."

"But I knew him." It all seemed familiar to him.

"That's a good start."

And Bucky continued down the road. "Now can I ask _you_ something? Why do _you_ trust _me_?"

"Lots of reasons. I know you're not going to hurt me if you're in control of yourself. You helped me escape. You were Hydra's prisoner, like me. And it's not like you could hurt me if you tried, anyway."

He couldn't find the right response to that last comment. Instead, he asked, "Have you ever been on the run before?"

"Nope, but I'm sure it's better than being in a cage."

"You're right. It is. First, we need to get you out of those clothes."

She backed away from him. "What the fuck!? Are you some kind of pervert?!"

"No! No. I meant you need to change so you don't look like an escaped prisoner. I'm sorry."

"Oh, yeah. That would be smart," she said looking down at her white scrub suit, now tie dyed red. "You should probably change out of your _Matrix_ costume too."

"What?"

"Well, you don't have the long coat, but you've got a nice Gene Simmons look to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, the guy from Kiss?"

"What kiss?"

"Where have you been the last forty years?...Oh, right. Sorry. How long were you stuck working for them?"

"I don't know for sure. A long time. I think I remember someone mentioning that it was December 1991."

"Jesus! How old were you, 10?"

"No. I don't really remember being a kid."

"Wow. This is going to take a lot of work, but we'll figure it out. There's gotta be some place where we can find help for you."

* * *

They drove around until they found a bin for clothing donations in an area with very few people. It only took a little telepathic influence to keep them from looking in their direction. Bucky and Carrie took a couple of outfits each, Bucky finding it difficult to find clothes in about his size, and Carrie finding it extremely difficult to find clothes that fit her that weren't children's sizes. There was only one shirt for her that didn't have cute little girl graphics on it or My Little Pony. While shuffling through piles, however, Bucky found something very peculiar.

He held the little boy's shirt in his metallic hand and gazed down at it.

"What's the matter?" asked Carrie.

"What is this?" he asked, holding the shirt out to Carrie.

The shirt held the image of the shield of Captain America.

"That's a Captain America t-shirt. Do you know who Captain America is?"

"I think I do."

"He was this World War II hero. That was his shield."

"I've seen him before," he said with a new confidence.

"How? He died like 70 years ago."

"No, he didn't."

"Okay. Let's get out of here, then we'll try to find out what all this means."

* * *

After changing and politely not peeking at each other, Carrie suggested that they go to a library to do some research on Captain America. Carrie almost did a Hermione voice and said, "When in doubt, go to the library," but decided that was a bad idea with Bucky's lack of pop culture knowledge. Outside the front door was a newspaper stand. Carrie anxiously looked for the date at the top of the front page: April 28, 2014.

"Four years. So I'm eighteen now," said Carrie.

She led Bucky to a shelf of history books and pulled out a promising one about World War II. Looking up Rogers, Steve in the index, she turned to the correct page.

"That's him," Bucky said before Carrie ever pointed out the picture of him on the page.

"Yeah." She read to him a passage. " _Steve Rogers, the famous soldier known as Captain America, was presumed dead after his plane crashed, however in 2011, he was discovered trapped in ice at the sight of the crash. As he was pulled from the ice, it was discovered that he was not dead as everyone had long assumed, but trapped in a state of suspended animation. He was soon revived and retook his position as Captain and became one of the key members of the Avengers, the protectors of planet Earth._

"What the fuck? He's back!" she almost shouted, but quickly quieted herself for the other library-goers. "That explains a lot. Come on! I've been gone for four years and the whole world changed without me. What's next? Talking raccoons? Ugh. Let's see what we can find out about these Avengers."

Two hours of surfing the internet later (Carrie had introduced Bucky to her best friend, Google), they had themselves caught up to speed of all the super happenings of the past few years. Watching a YouTube video taken on someone's phone during the attack on New York, Carrie couldn't believe her eyes.

"I always knew those Norse myths were more than just stories," she commented at the golden-haired, hammer-wielding (and rather handsome) god.

"Only one girl?" she asked rhetorically at the sight of the super badass redhead Avenger. "I'll join these guys just to add another one." And especially after she found out that this "Black Widow" had personally spilled all of Hydra's secrets to the public, she said, "Bless her."

It was all very illuminating to both of them. SHIELD, gods, terrorists. Yet the sad thing, which Carrie would not speak out loud, was that, innocent Bucky here was a target for all of them. Good guys really do finish last.

Since they had established that Captain America was most familiar to Bucky, they decided to spend most of their time studying him.

"Look. There's an exhibit about him at the Smithsonian not far from here. We could stop by if you think that would help," Carrie suggested to Bucky.

He gave that characteristic blank stare into space. Carrie could see the little wheels in his head turning as he tried to work out his thoughts. "Yeah." He nodded, "That would be good."

"But first," said Carrie as she plopped down into a computer seat, "I need to look up something."

A library was full of resources: books, internet, audio books, music, search engines, and people willing to help, but it was possible that none of them could help Carrie with what she needed.

Facebook-no. Twitter- no. White pages- no. _Oh, am I that desperate?_ she asked herself. Yes. MySpace- no. All dead ends.

"Okay," she stood, brushing off the dejected sigh that threatened to escape her lips. She put on a happy face for Bucky. "Let's go."

* * *

Author's Note: For those of you returning to the story, I changed Carrie's city of origin to Chicago instead of Cincinnati. I hope that's the last of the changes. Thank you for reading as always!


	4. Take It On the Run

The Smithsonian Museum was a beautiful and intimidating place. They'd have to be in and out of there, though. They could never tell when Hydra might be watching and they needed to find someplace secluded.

The only immediate problems they saw was when they stood in line to go through the metal detector.

Carrie took a map of the museum and pretended to be showing him spots to visit while she said, "That metal detector up there- I'll control it." She then raised her voice up and said brightly, "I can't wait to see the Air and Space Museum."

As they came up to the detector, Carrie eyed the machine nervously. She had never done such a thing before and wasn't exactly sure how to manipulate it. So, she simply thought to herself, "Don't go off. Don't go off." and it worked.

Finally, they entered the exhibit. The walls were painted with grand images of Captain America and his fellow soldiers.

"Here. Look at this," Carrie said to Bucky, but found him staring up at a soldier's memorial.

Bucky Barnes: 1917-1944

Holy fuck. !?

Why hadn't she realized it before? The face she had studied in school- changed over time, but still the same face. It was like he hadn't aged a day. She had no idea how that could be possible, but Hydra had all kinds of resources to preserve him. There he was, a living legend, and he couldn't even tell you his full name or about his childhood, or family. He had no home, no refuge. Everyone he ever knew from his old life was probably dead, except for Captain America.

She compared the images of his face: the handsome, strapping young man who seemed to radiate life vs. the scruffy, yet no less handsome man who seemed to Carrie like a little lost puppy. He was so strong, so powerful, yet with a mind so breakable. That was all going to change starting now, Carrie decided. She would help him, whatever it took. He deserved it more than anyone.

Why do nice guys always finish last?

Bucky just finished reading about himself when an unwanted feeling slipped into Carrie's mind.

She grabbed his arm affectionately as part of a disguise, knocking him out out of a sort of trace. Her perky smile didn't match the tone of her voice as she said, "Bucky, we have to go now."

It was funny how her power worked: out of the blue, she had the sense that someone was closing in on them. She picked up on the malicious intent from the minds of an unseen threat nearby.

They nonchalantly made their way to the parking lot, which was empty of people except for what looked like quite a few dads in their summer khaki shorts and polo shirts. Carrie turned the security cameras away from their direction as they headed towards their car. A few heads turned in their direction.

"If anyone asks, you're my daughter," Bucky whispered to her.

"Whoa. I'm way not young enough to be your daughter," she argued back. Wait. Actually, he was old enough to be her great grandfather.

Unfortunately, their debate was cut short by a few of the surrounding men approaching them. "You folks enjoying the museum today?" one big, hulking man asked.

"Oh yes! It's great to see such a colorful history on display," Carrie said in her people-friendly voice, though there was something off-putting about the telepathic signatures from the minds around them. She would find out what, too late.

"Good. Good," said the man, "Now the fun's over." Without hesitation, the men pulled out electric batons, one making contact with Carrie's skin, resulting in a pained cry to escape her lips. Bucky was quick, though. Almost instantly, he had stolen a baton and used it against the men, plowing through them quickly and throwing them in all different directions. Carrie got the baton off her, but was very shaken up and dazed. She had to lean on a car for support. Bucky was on his own.

He was very capable, though. Hyrda was sure regretting creating the world's greatest super-soldier now. He sent one man flying into a car, creating a dent in the hood. Several others felt the smack of the metal arm. That's gonna hurt in the morning. They obviously weren't aiming to kill, though. They'd invested a lot of money into keeping their toy soldier in tip-top shape- they didn't want it to go to waste.

She, however, was disposable. They hadn't spent any resources in creating her. They just picked her up one day and put her in a cage and milked all the power they could get out of her. There would always be more test tubes full of experiments to give people super human abilities. And there would always be people to volunteer to be those lab rats. A compliant super human was worth ten of a super human who resisted.

They had ways to get Bucky back under their control if they brought him back to Hydra bases. He was worth saving in their eyes. Carrie was not. An agent raised a gun and pointed it at Carrie.

Snap decision. Bucky threw himself in front of the gun.


	5. Take It Easy

Of course, the great thing about Bucky's metal arm is that it deflects bullets. He was totally unharmed, but it was still a heroic act to take a few bullets for Carrie.

Bucky was tackled by the Hydra agents all at once and suffered the shock of the electric batons. The sight of him, his teeth gritted in pain, brought Carrie back to her senses and it pissed her off.

It was one thing for Hydra to shoot at her. She had willingly slaughtered all of their base, made her intentions of killing every member of their organization clear, and had killed even those who posed no threat to her simply because she wanted to. But Bucky was totally innocent in this. He only willingly killed out of self-defense, even after all Hydra had done to him. And he had put himself between Carrie and a gun. No one hurts Bucky, she decided. Starting now, she would personally see to it that nobody hurt Bucky.

From the ground, Bucky let out a pained cry and with a feral scream, Carrie flung the Hydra agents off him and into nearby cars. They were knocked out cold. Using more power than she'd ever known she had before, she pulled another car over to them, with the intent of squishing them between the metal. Barely lifting a finger, the car moved closer and closer.

"Wait, don't. We don't want to leave a trail of bodies behind us," said Bucky, putting his hand on Carrie's shoulder.

Of all the thoughts she could be thinking now, the one that came to her was this: He's touching my shoulder.

This was the first natural human contact she had ever seen him make. So they hadn't taken everything away from him.

Despite her reeling thoughts, she kept her next sentence simple, "Okay. Let's get out of here."

After Carrie used her power to swap license plates with their car and another, and then swapped again with another, they were on the road again. Carrie wondered for a moment where their next meal was coming from, and then a brilliant little lightbulb went off in her head.

"Hey, if I could control that metal detector back there, you know what else I can control? ATM's."

* * *

They stood hovering over an ATM after Carrie had tilted security cameras away from them again. As with the metal detector, Carrie had no idea how to make it bend to her will.

"Uuuuh, I don't really know how this works," she said uneasily, staring into the slot.

"Well, whatever you're about to do, do it fast. People will stare," warned Bucky under his breath.

She took a deep breath. "Okay. Here we go. I got this," she tried reassuring herself. She stared into the machine, simply picturing it spitting out money. And...

Nothing happened.

Shake it off. Try again.

She focused on it and reached out, her fingers stroked the glass.

One by one, green papers came out.

$20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20 $20...

Holy shit.

Bucky seemed to have a similar reaction. His mouth was wide open in awe and relief that they now didn't have to scrounge up scraps of cash or eat form dumpsters. He tried to subdue his reaction, though, to not attract any attention.

Bills kept on popping and popping out of the machine, and they collected several hundred dollars. They could have taken much more, but they didn't want anyone to see them carrying around so much cash, and how were they going to keep track of that much, anyway.

After refilling on gas and other supplies (Carrie emptied the gas station's stock of chocolate bars- "I spent the prime time of my teen years in a prison cell; I want to make up for lost time."), they made their way to a thrift shop to get a change of clothes to make identifying them more difficult. Slipping into a pair of jeans for the first time in four years, the denim felt strange against her skin. It was in her size, but it felt tight compared to the loose uniforms she'd been limited to. The jeans might have taken some time to get used to, but it felt wonderful being able to dress like a normal teen again. Bucky dressed up in very plain, but not unattractive, clothes- a wise decision to blend in with any crowd. However, before walking out of the shop, Carrie noticed a little goldmine that she just could not let slip away.

"Oh my God. They have like all of my favorite songs right here on CD. I haven't heard music since I was fourteen. I'm not letting this go. We need something to listen to in the car, anyway." And before Bucky could object, she swept the shelves clean of all the CD's, except for Brittany Spears. She wouldn't make Bucky go through that.

"I just realized- you missed like all the greatest years that music ever had. You haven't lived until you've heard 'Hotel California.' Or 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' Or 'Stairway to Heaven.' Or 'Free Bird.' Wow. You have a lot of living to do. Don't worry; I will help you live. I will take care of you," she said, only half-jokingly.

"You know we're still running from an international terrorist organization, right?"

"Doesn't mean we can't have a little fun on the way. Bucky, in the immortal words of Glenn Frey, 'Take It Easy.'"

And with that, they set off for the road ahead.


	6. In My Life

Author's Note: Characters' opinions do not necessarily reflect my own. Happy reading!

* * *

"We'll have to take backroads to Chicago whenever possible. We want to avoid places like tollbooths as much as possible. That'll take a few more hours, though, so you should be home early tomorrow," said Bucky.

"That's okay. It'll give me plenty of time for your music education." Carrie shoved a CD into the car's CD player as they strolled down the road past the green fields on some desolate road with nothing around them but trees and open, endless blue sky. Carrie thought she'd start Bucky in chronological order so he could experience his music education like everybody else who had lived through the last seventy years, just much faster. She would admit, some of this was old ever for her taste, but she kept an open mind. The first CD she picked up was the Man in Black himself, Johnny cash. As the humming melodies filled the car, Bucky didn't seem like much of a country guy, but they could both identify with one particular song. Listening to "Folsom Prison Blues," they were reminded of their appreciation for their new freedom.

But what really got Bucky's attention was the King Elvis Presley.

Maybe it was because Elvis would have been the next big thing for him if he's been able to live out his life, or maybe Elvis's music still held on to some of the familiar qualities that Bucky's familiar music had. Either way, Carrie could visibly and telepathically sense that the music was stirring up something in Bucky's mind. Hopefully, it would bring back something, some happy memories from his past life. Something about the music seemed to make Bucky shed his armor just a little, make him more of a person underneath the soldier. Carrie didn't say anything when she saw it for fear of spoiling it, but she couldn't help but notice Bucky unconsciously lightly tapping his hand on the steering wheel along with the music.

After quick lessons in Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin, Bucky was introduced to Beatlemania.

He seemed to truly enjoy the Liverpool boys, but certain poignant songs about remembering the past like "Yesterday" or "In My Life," had a surprising effect on him. His receded back into a blank stare that meant his mind was obviously somewhere else, maybe somewhere he shouldn't be. Somewhere that Carrie should probably pull him back from. She quickly clicked the skip button to a much more cheerful melody. "Here Comes the Sun" was the first thing that came to mind.

"It's okay," she wanted to say. "That's what's supposed to happen. Music is supposed to make you feel that way. Sometimes when you're feeling bad, hearing someone else sing about feeling the same way can make it hurt more for a little bit, but then it feels better. And that's what happy songs are for, to turn you around from the bad moods. Just listen and enjoy." But something kept her silent. They hadn't known each other long enough. He probably wanted some privacy now. Instead, she redirected his attention to something else.

"Everybody was crazy for these guys in their day. They'd have swarms of girls crowding to see them. Police had to hold them back and they'd be screaming. It's a shame you had to miss it, but I would've really liked to see it, too."

And to great surprise and joy, Bucky became a bit invested in the music. He asked, "Are they still alive?"

"Two are. John Lennon was killed in the 80's and George Harrison died like thirteen years ago," okay, maybe she shouldn't bring up such depressing topics, "But Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are still alive and I think they still go on tour by themselves now."

Just as the sun set, the voice of Mick Jagger came to prominence inside the car. Rolling Stones songs like "Wild Horses" really seemed to stick with Bucky the most.

"Just wait 'til we really get into the 70's. You can bet I'll be singing and seat dancing. And any time you want to have a lip sync battle to 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart,' I'm ready," said Carrie.

And deeper into the night, she suggested, "Why don't we stop somewhere for the night? You can't keep going forever."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Look, you may be a super-soldier, but you're still a human super-soldier. We'd have to stop somewhere anyway; you shouldn't drive if you're tired. I also still have some dried blood in my hair, and I'd like to wash it out so I don't have dried blood in my hair."

"We'll be sitting ducks to Hydra if we stop."

"We could take turns keeping watch, and we've already proven that we can handle them if they come for us."

Bucky anxiously eyed the road as he contemplated his decision.

"Come on, we both need a rest after today."

He gripped the steering wheel and caved in, "Okay."

Twenty minutes of searching for a cheap motel later, they decided to settle in one. "Now if they ask for ID, give them this." She handed him a blank note card from the glove compartment.

He gave her an inquisitive look.

"I can make it look like an ID. Mind powers, remember?" She tapped her temple.

And with that answer, Bucky was satisfied. Once in their room (they had to get one with a single bed to match their dating couple disguise) Bucky threw himself face down on the bed and buried his head in a pillow. After letting out a relaxed sigh he said, "How long has it been since I've slept in a bed?"

Carrie chuckled. "I know how you feel."

"No. I'm really asking, how long's it been since I slept in a bed?"

"I don't know. I can't just pull facts out of people's minds, but judging by your reaction, I'd say a very long time."

Unfortunately, in their hurry to get clothes, neither Bucky nor Carrie thought about grabbing something comfortable to sleep in after they'd gotten themselves cleaned up, but they were so exhausted from the day that sleep would probably come quickly and they wouldn't care what they were wearing. Carrie had had one Hell of a time trying to untangle the knots in her not-even-that-long brown hair and scrub the clumps of dried blood out. Screw it. Messy hair, don't care.

"I'll take first watch," said Bucky.

"No, that's alright. You get some sleep. You've got to be dead-tired by now." She couldn't tell if he was being polite, or stubborn because the dark shadows of weariness were evident below his eyes.

"No, go ahead and lie down. I'm fine."

"I can't find your memories until you sleep."

They tried to feel as un-awkward as possible getting into bed with each other.

"Just relax, close your eyes, and pretend I'm not even here."

The lights went out and Carrie listened to the sound of Bucky's gradually slowing breath. She tuned into his mind. It was like listening to a radio. Slowly but surely, the radio quieted. When she was sure that he was under deep enough not to wake him up, but not truly asleep yet, she put her hands to his head and searched around the landscape of his mind. If she was being honest with herself, she would say that she felt a bit of trepidation. Bucky's mind was a very foreign territory to her, and considering his history of pain, violence, and all-around misery, the revelations made there could be… disturbing.

She'd promised Bucky she would help, though. He was entitled to his past, but- she felt terrible to admit it- if she deemed it necessary, she decided then that she wouldn't reveal certain things to him if she thought it would only hurt him. It might not be all bad, though, she tried to reassure herself. She'd try to find some memories from his very, very distant past. A happier time. Maybe memories from before the war had survived somewhere. She'd look for those memories specifically and report the news to him when he woke up. Okay. Ready.

She dived in.

He shifted slightly at first, but Carrie used a bit of telepathic influence to keep him asleep. The first memories she saw were recent ones. She saw images of herself from his point-of-view. She was shocked by how small she looked to him- almost like a little girl, which made her all the more terrifying when she was drenched in her victims' blood and cackling as she tortured and killed them. That satisfied her- she hoped the Hydra agents had seen her as that terrifying when she'd killed them.

The next images in line were not so tame.

Lights and white lab coats made vision uncomfortable. Then, black blurred figures came in and hit him in the stomach over and over again. Carrie flinched herself, as she saw it in first-person. It became difficult to contain her reactions and she feared he might wake him up, but she held tight to control herself. The black figures, with red skulls and tentacles on their sleeves, grabbed Bucky's arms and pulled him backwards. No matter how hard he kicked and pulled, they were stronger.

Carrie did her best to keep these visions separate from any dreams he might be experiencing.

The Hyrda men shoved Bucky, Carrie, me, you (nothing made sense anymore) into a metal capsule and locked him inside. He reached out with his flesh arm and metal arm and tapped on the little glass window over his face. He could just see his reflection before ice crystallized on him and his whole world went dark.

Jumping forward, the next scene contained men throwing a very confused and scared Bucky into a chair and strapping him down. Metal devices clamped down on his head and then his thoughts became unclouded. There was only pain. He let go of all thoughts of the past or his feelings because all his energy was devoted to trying to manage the pain. He wasn't even aware that he was screaming bloody murder. Pain, pain, and more pain. His mind was empty of all things but searing pain.

That was too much.

Carrie let go of him and expected him to be writhing, but when she looked down at him, he was motionless under the blankets. He looked- dare she think it?- peaceful. She checked his dreaming mind; he was at concert trying to see above the crowd to catch a glimpse of the band- a good dream. What a miracle.

Carrie hugged her knees in an attempt to keep herself from crying or screaming or shivering, or anything else that might wake him.

How could one human being have endured so much? Maybe Hydra did him a favor by taking those memories. Forgetting is better than remembering agony.

Fucking Hydra. They did this to him. She'd kill every single one of them if she had the chance. And in the meantime, she'd start putting back together the pieces of a broken human being. She hoped such a feat was possible.

She left Bucky there to rest and shuffled through his bag. She grabbed a knife out and headed for the bathroom. She kept the door open just a crack so she could still listen for Bucky, but the light wouldn't wake him up. With the knife, she chopped off her hair like Mulan. Every now and then, Hydra would shave off her hair and leave almost none behind. Other times, they would let it get so long that it became a nuisance. For once, she was able to have control over her own hair. It wasn't very even or straight, but if there's anything _Tangled_ taught us, it's that the style is cool. So much easier to manage and a huge relief. After cleaning up, she returned to bed and rested, sitting beside Bucky.

The night drew on uneventfully for an hour or two with Carrie just reflecting on the days events. It felt like a whole new lifetime had been packed in a few hours. Only a shift in Bucky drew her out of her thoughts.

Was he waking up? He shook a bit, but his eyes were still closed, so no. His voice was audible, but not intelligible. He was really freaking Carrie out, so she put her hands to his head to see where his mind was. She was almost thrown back by the violent images he was dreaming. Gunshots. Terror. War. She couldn't even make out the details, but she knew it was unbearable. Now she understood why he'd tried to put-off sleep.

He was becoming louder and louder. Carrie didn't want anyone to hear and be suspicious, and she wanted to end his suffering as quickly as possible. Cautiously she shook his shoulders. This only made him clench his fists and bite down hard. Finally, she decided to telepathically shock him out of sleep. This was a risky move, but she needed to pull him back from the horrors. Taking his shoulders again, she concentrated and woke him.

He instantly bolted sitting up. If it weren't for Carrie's quick reflexes, he'd have punched her in the ribs with the metal arm, but she held him back with her mind. His body was tense and shaking. A look of pure terror that she couldn't even describe covered his face. He was still trapped in the other reality of the nightmare and Carrie had to think fast to get him back. At a loss for any other ideas, she said in the most comforting voice she could muster:

"It's okay. It's okay. Listen to me. We're going to sing a song. Focus on the words

 _Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high_ ," she sang softly.

" _There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby_." Her voice cracked often, but Bucky began to shake less and pay attention to her voice.

"Come on, jump in if you know the words.

 _Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue,_ " She cupped his cheeks in her hands, and then he accompanied,

" _And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true_."

He only sang- or rather spoke- just that one line, but they seemed to pull him out of the terrors he had faced in his dreams. He laid back down and sighed. Carrie went on.

" _Someday, I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me._ " She tried to telepathically calm him, but it was very difficult in his current state of mind. The singing thing had better work. It was the only song they both might actually be familiar with.

" _Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops. That's where you'll find me._ " Gaining a bit more confidence, her voice rose a little and flowed more smoothly.

" _Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow. Why, oh why can't I?_ " Although all his skin was gleaming with sweat, Bucky began to slowly relax.

" _If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow. Why, oh why can't I?_ " She would have thought he was asleep if he hadn't uttered one word after she finished.

"Sorry," his groggy voice croaked.

"It's fine." She stopped herself from asking if he was okay because she already knew the answer. Instead, she asked, "Do you think you could sleep now?"

"I don't want to. I'll take watch. Get some rest." He sat back up, pulling himself together to be a good soldier, and Carrie gladly got under the blankets. The weariness took over and it didn't take long for sleep to come. Bucky stayed still as a statue, staring out into the night, yet just his presence was somehow a comfort to Carrie and he seemed to make the blankets feel softer and warmer to her. In her half-conscious state, she couldn't stop herself from curling nearer to him. Bucky was initially shocked, but did not dislike the feeling. Why the Hell a small girl would be displaying affection to him was beyond his comprehension. Not bad, but totally strange. Strange, but he could get used to it.


	7. Wasted Time

They started off early the next morning. Once they were on their way, Bucky asked about her discoveries. Neither of them mentioned the little nightmare episode, and Carrie was apprehensive about sharing all her information with him, so she kept her words as gentle as possible.

"I'm not sure what was happening, but there were a bunch of doctors or scientists and a bunch of Hydra guards, and then they grabbed you not very nicely and put you in this sort of box and then there was ice everywhere. And then everything just stopped suddenly, like a light going out. Does any of that seem familiar?"

Carrie was afraid he was going to lose focus on the road, but after a moment of thinking, he said, "Yeah. I think so."

"Okay. Then I think they were torturing you." She let that sink in for a second, "I think it messed with your head. That's probably why you don't remember much. ...Sorry."

To the statue in the driver's seat, she tried an empathetic approach. "I've had some crazy shit happen with Hydra, too." She stared off into space, "They wouldn't even let me kill myself. I tried starving myself, and they force fed me with a tube down my throat."

For the first time in the last twenty-four hours, Bucky looked at her just to look at her.

They were parallels to each other. They shared the same dark, wild hair, only on him it looked long and on her it looked short. They stared at each other with the same blue eyes and fair skin that rarely felt sunlight. Yet, simultaneously, they were opposites. She was raw power with no physical abilities to back it up. He was all strength and towered over her tiny figure. Somehow, all this made them the perfect pair.

"So what's on the musical agenda today?" asked Bucky, pulling her out of flashbacks.

She snapped back into her happy face, "Only some of the best music ever. I've been waiting for this part!"

* * *

"Wait, so who is Ziggy Stardust?" Bucky asked after two hours on the road.

"That's his character. He sings as the character and tells a whole story. I love it."

"And what the Hell is a ' _Bohemian Rhapsody_ '?"

"I don't really know. None of the words really make sense, but it's awesome anyway."

Bucky only shook his head.

"Okay, so maybe glam rock isn't your thing, but no one can deny the awesomeness of this next group. Get ready for the Eagles!"

Bucky cleared his throat, in a way that only meant he was about to bring up a difficult subject. "Carrie, I don't mean to pry, but are you sure there'll be someone for you in Chicago? I don't want to just drop you off alone somewhere."

"Um, actually, no. My parents and younger brother lived in the Chicago suburbs before I uh-left- but my parents always said that they never wanted to move."

Bucky sighed. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you have to be prepared in case they're gone. Hydra doesn't like loose ends, and your family might have been a liability to them."

"I know. Believe me, I spent a lot of time alone in a cell and had plenty of time to think about these things. I doubt Hydra would've taken them too, because then they would've just used them to hold over my head and control me. I don't think Hydra killed them, either, because my family wouldn't have been a problem to them. There wouldn't have been any witnesses when they took me. It was just a normal day in a normal life. I was outside waiting for my school bus one morning. I remember seeing a black van pull up in front of my house, and then the next thing I knew I was in a padded cell."

"Even if you do find them, you'd just be putting them in danger."

"I know, but I haven't seen them in four years. I have to at least let them know I'm alive, and they'd be in even more danger without me."

Bucky nodded at that.

"So now that you know who you are, have any more memories come back? Should I start calling you 'James'?"

A weak laugh rose in his throat. "No, I think I like 'Bucky' better, and I haven't gotten anything but brief little flashes, and I don't know what any of them mean."

"Well, maybe you should try writing them down in a journal or something. Maybe then you can start to connect the dots."

"Maybe"

"And I don't mean to pry either, but where will you be headed once I'm gone?"

"Oh, I'll move around, maybe head to New York and see if I can find this Captain America."

At least he had some sort of destination. Carrie didn't like the thought of him roaming the country alone.

She promptly cranked up the volume to "Life In The Fast Lane," it being so fitting for their journey and all.

* * *

To summarize the day in music...

Bucky liked Pink Floyd,

Warmed up to Aerosmith pretty quickly,

After some persuasion from Carrie became a fan of Cher,

Didn't know what to make of Led Zeppelin at first, but they grew on him,

Was downright scared of the Bee Gees,

And couldn't help but start to learn how to rock out to Kansas.

By the time they got to the end of "Dust in the Wind," they'd gotten close enough that Carrie had to give Bucky directions to her home. It'd been years, but she'd pictured it in her mind so many times on her nights of isolation that it felt like only yesterday that she'd been there.

As the wheels carried them deeper and deeper into town, Carrie began to spot familiar landmarks.

"Oh! There's the ice cream shop where we'd go in the summer! And there's my family's favorite restaurant!" She rolled down the windows and nearly jumped out as she pointed to the landmarks in excitement. Although Bucky could care less about where Carrie ate or got ice cream as a child, he couldn't help but share in a little of her joy.

"Turn here," she told him and bounced in her seat.

Just a few more turns of the wheels and she could see it: brown bricks, forest green shutters, little shrubs and trees all around was her home. It looked perfectly picturesque, almost exactly how she remembered it. "There it is! Oh, they added new stuff to the garden and got a basketball hoop for my brother," she babbled, grinning ear-to-ear.

Finally, the car pulled up in the driveway and Carrie jumped out of her seat, but suddenly stopped.

"I guess this is goodbye, then," she said to Bucky as it dawned on her. "Thank you." She couldn't resist- she pounced on Bucky for a hug, which he returned.

"Anytime," he said with a little flicker of a smile.

"I hope you find your way home, too." She stepped out of the car. "If you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

"Take care." And they made one last glance at each other.

Her feet patted against the paved pathway to the front door and she rang the doorbell, stomach churning with anticipation. She heard rustling and movements inside- her mother coming to answer the door, but the door then swept open to reveal a woman who was definitely _not_ her mother.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked.

Carrie tried to shake off her surprise. "Uh, yes. I knew people who used to live here. I came by to see if they were still around. Do you by any chance know what happened to the Mortel family?"

The woman looked to the ground first, then said, "Oh, yes. It was terrible what happened. After their daughter went missing, they decided to move on. They couldn't stand seeing her empty room every day. So, they left town."

"Do you know where they are now?"

"I'm sorry, I don't. They don't keep up much contact with people around here anymore."

"Okay. Thank you for your help."

"Sorry I couldn't do more."

"That's alright. We're only human." And Carrie walked away from her childhood home.

Thank God Bucky was still in the driveway when she returned, or else she'd be screwed. To answer his bewildered expression. she said, "They're not here. They left after I did. They think I went missing."

"Aw Carrie, I'm sorry." His endeavors at being comforting were actually successful. "There are other ways we can find them. Don't give up yet."

She nodded and spoke before any tears had a chance to form. "I know. Hey, this'll give me more time to fix your brain anyway. So where did you say our next spot was? New York?"

* * *

" _So you can get on with your search, baby,_

 _And I can get on with mine_

 _And maybe someday we will find,_

 _That it wasn't really wasted time._ "

from "Wasted Time"

by the Eagles


	8. Somewhere Out There

It turns out Hermione was right about libraries being the solution to everything. (Who are we kidding? Was there ever any doubt? Hermione is always right.)

In the next town over so the chances of Carrie being recognized were cut down, they tore through old newspaper articles about the disappearance of Caroline Gale Mortel, age 14.

 _Police are asking for every pair of eyes to help bring this young girl home. She was last seen in her suburban home wearing blue jeans, a green T-shirt, and black sneakers. The family says that she hadn't shown any signs of wanting to run away, but police haven't ruled out that possibility yet. Regardless, with every minute that passes, the girl's chances of being found safely dwindle. We ask for your help to bring her home. If you have any information, please contact the tip line below._

Carrie stared at her photo printed on the front page in her hands. She glanced from that, to a mirror on the wall, and back again. Not much had changed from the two images. Her hair was now messier and shorter, her skin a little lighter, but she hadn't grown much in her captivity. She thought something they'd done to her might have stunted her growth.

Sifting through several more months of newspapers, she found another article, way in the back of the paper, a sidebar.

 _The family of missing girl Caroline Mortel made the painful decision of ending the search for her today. After going 18 months without leads, hope, or any signs that she may still be out there, the family gives up their search. Police say that in the slim chance that she is still alive, she likely does not want to be found. The family had been working tirelessly day and night, putting jobs, schools, and social lives on hold to find their girl, but now they decide to move on. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them as they leave for another town, away from the painful memories of their beloved Carrie._

In the present, Carrie hurriedly put the newspaper back in it's place and turned for the exit. "We should go. We can't have anyone recognizing me and calling the police."

When they returned to their vehicle and Bucky made to turn the volume up, Carrie reached out to stop him. "Sorry. I'm kind of tired- road trips always drain all the energy out of me."

Bucky didn't argue. protest, or say anything. He only nodded while Carrie turned to the window and found the least uncomfortable position to rest her head. She stared out the window and faked sleep until it became real. She only woke to Bucky's arm gently nudging her shoulder. In truth, he would've picked her up and carried her to bed, but she needed to do her fake ID trick again to check into a motel. Once settled in, Carrie thought she'd kill two birds with one stone by turning on the TV: catching up Bucky on decades of movies, and putting Carrie in a better mood.

She would've loved to sing about her Favorite Things along with Maria von Trapp, but The Sound of Music might not have been something to watch with a World War II veteran. They just caught the end of _Jaws_. Spoiler Alert: Smile, you son of a bitch. And then...

"Aw, look! _American Tail_ 's on! It's for kids, but there's nothing like 80's movies to get you caught up on pop culture."

They jumped in the middle of the film, just as little Tanya Mousekewitz and her lost brother looked up at the moon and sang their little mousy hearts out.

 _Somewhere out there,_

 _Beneath the pale moonlight,_

 _Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight._

 _Somewhere out there,_

 _Someone's saying a prayer,_

 _That we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there._

Carrie froze in the middle of combing her hair by a window. Always perceptive of those around him, Bucky picked up on her sudden shift quickly. She held completely still because it seemed like the only thing keeping her eyes from leaking. Bucky leaped over to her when the furniture in the room started rattling by themselves. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, and her breath quickened to sharp small intakes.

"It's alright. It's alright." He needed to calm her fast, both out of compassion for her, and out of concern that she would destroy the room and expose them.

Finally, Carrie could hold onto her composure no longer. She couldn't stop herself from weeping and letting the flow of tears run its course. She shoulders shook hard and fast as she buried her face into Bucky's chest and held onto him with all her strength.

"It's okay. Come here. Just lie down. It's been a long day. Just lie down and rest." He let her hold on to him in bed and wet his shirt until the furniture stopped shaking and she quieted. Four years of pent-up tears came flooding out. She hadn't cried out of sadness since her early days as a prisoner. She might have let a couple of tears go when she was in great amounts of physical pain, but nothing more. Lying on the floor in her cell, she had decided to turn her sadness into anger and defiance. Every ounce of her energy from then on was put into planning an escape, or at least taking a few of them down trying.

She looked back on some of those attempts: the guard she almost strangled with her shoelace, the one she tried to suffocate with her bed sheet, the one she nearly drowned in a sink. All these occasions had their terrible repercussions, but the more she fought, the stronger she got and closer to freedom she became. Hydra had never expected such powerful defiance from a young girl. Of course they knew her power made her a threat, but the number of times she almost escaped scared them. It turns out all she needed was a little boost. When she returned to the present, she became aware that Bucky was still holding her.

"Thank you," she said, wiping away the last tear.

"You okay now?"

"Yeah. I'm okay."

"And about that thing you did for me last night- thank you, but don't do it again. Don't wake me up next time. I could kill you."

"No you couldn't. I'd be able to stop you."

"Look, I just don't want anybody else to get hurt because of me."

"No one's going to get hurt. I might even be able to control your dreams- at least to some extent."

He raised an eyebrow in interest. "You can?"

"Maybe. I've never tried it before, but I think my powers are getting stronger every day. I'd have to be actively reading your mind the whole time, though, then I might be able to stop a nightmare in its tracks."

"Could you test it out tonight?"

"I'll try."

"Thank you." Then he took a surprising turn and opened up a bit. "Look, I know this has been every bit as hard for you as it has for me, and I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done."

She picked up a smile. "Don't be silly- we need each other." She turned off the light. "Now go to sleep so I can see what else is in that head of yours."

Bucky slept by her side again, and this time Carrie was much more concerned this time. After seeing the terrors in his mind, she feared she might make things worse by opening up a gateway for the horrific memories to come through. Would fishing for these memories only cause nightmares and disturbing flashbacks, even after her telepathic grasp had been released? She looked down at him sleeping just like any other human being and he suddenly seemed so fragile. Not even his big, strong arms could protect him from enemies that attacked him from within, or an army of Hydra agents who'd spent that last 70 years learning how to control him. He was like a baby in some ways; he needed to be taught how to live a normal life. She didn't want to spoil the perfect dreams of a sleeping angel, but a promise is a promise. Here we go.

She put her hands to his head and explored the landmine-laden landscape of his mind and first came across a scene of a battlefield. Judging by the style of uniforms, it was in the war before his memory had been erased. Promising. Not everything from his past life was lost.

Shots rang out and Bucky turned to face the Captain himself in his star-spangled suit. Despite being in a war zone, the tone seemed relaxed. The Captain smiled at his comrade and friend, until an explosion threw Carrie ahead to another memory. Bucky stared up from what seemed to be an operating table. Lights above him stung his eyes and a man in a lab coat approached him. The man wore round glasses and a bow tie. He soon left, and several more lab coats appeared and stuck needles into Bucky. The scene went dark and morphed into a new one. Oh God. Carrie would have thought it was a nightmare if she didn't know better. A tall, towering man stood across a metal bridge in what looked liked some underground structure. What was looked to distorted to be real, though, was his face. Crimson and hairless, he looked like a living skeleton.

Whoa. To freaky.

She ended the session for the night and let Bucky have his peace. She monitored his dreams to make sure they were calm- all clear. Only, that could change at any moment. Throughout the night, Carrie found herself holding onto him, guarding him from night terrors, wanting to keep him safe.

Oh, Bucky, if only you knew how much you are loved.


	9. Desperado

Carrie didn't have the heart to wake Bucky from his peaceful sleep. His mind was finally giving him a break. No matter how many times she checked, no violent images were playing across his mind. She didn't want to spoil it, especially since it had probably been decades since he'd actually gotten a full night's worth of peaceful sleep. Even as the sky began to turn a light purple shade, signifying the rising sun and near time to get going, she just couldn't.

Fortunately and unfortunately, someone else would make her.

She shook his shoulders, and he sprang sitting up in bed. "They're coming for us. That's okay. I wanted something to use as a punching bag, anyway."

Without hesitation, they grabbed their bags and climbed out the window, which Carrie had opened up with her mind. They didn't wait for anything to speed out of there, find the nearest secluded road, and drive the fuck away. Things were looking up... until they saw a blockade of black vans ahead in their path... and behind them. They had no choice but to stop the car.

"Shit," said Bucky, pounding on the steering wheel. He reached into his bag and armed himself. His massive, but humanly-shaped metal arm whirred in an adrenaline rush for the oncoming battle. He wasn't called the Winter Soldier for nothing. Men from the van approached slowly from both directions.

Carrie took a deep breath. "We've got this."

With a nod, Bucky said, "Yes. We do."

And like a well-running machine, like a pair who had been together forever and knew all the strengths and weaknesses of each other, like they had spent all the time in the world in combat together, they jumped into position. Bucky ducked behind the car into a position from which he would be covered, but still fire in one direction. Carrie stood in the opposite way, covering her back from Bucky's battle, while still taking on the men coming from the front. She froze their bullets midair and returned them into their necks. Several went down, but the rest advanced closer. Hmmm... Let's make a game out of this.

The Hydra men looked back curiously when the vans started shaking, and in the next moment, they were flattened underneath them. Tons of metal flipped over on top of them. Carrie couldn't stop herself from giggling, just a little bit. With them taken care of, she turn around to assist Bucky. Although he was holding his own just fine, she thought she could end this much faster. She effortlessly flicked away their weapons and welcomed them when they came withing punching distance.

She meant to gladly pull their eyes from their sockets, but quickly froze. One agent held a little red box, opened it, and set it on the ground. Dozens of little black spiders crawled out and spread out over the asphalt. Carrie's body went tense and she started hyperventilating, never taking her eyes off the minuscule, creeping little arachnids with their clicking, dripping fangs and legs that would tickle your skin as they covered you. It was like she was shut down. She couldn't even hear the sound of Bucky shouting her name. Finally, he took matters into his own hands and knocked the Hydra men in their faces with his weapon. They were obviously no match for him not matter how hard they tried.

Once he'd finished with them, he went over to Carrie and shook her a bit. "Carrie? What's wrong? Listen to me, Carrie. Get them out of your head. You're stronger than that." But his words bounced off her as she stared blankly at the ground below.

With his attention on her, neither of them were aware of two surviving agents closing in on them. One carried what looked like a cable connected to a black box, and the other, a gun in each hand. Carrie only noticed them from the corner of her eye. When she did and saw the cable, she screamed. She stepped back until her back was pressed against the car. Bucky pulled his trigger and- click. No ammunition. All he could do was dodge the darts coming at him while the other agent shook his cable intimidatingly at Carrie. The satisfied, blood-lusting sneer on his face made Carrie's insides curdle.

He grabbed her by the wrist and she tugged weakly against him. He took the cable with its sharp, metal end and pushed it closer and closer to the back of Carrie's neck. It wasn't until she looked over the man's shoulder and caught a glimpse of the other man shooting Bucky in the flesh arm that she began to snap out of her stupor.

With a fierce shriek, she threw both men away and into the ground. Without second though, she bashed their heads into the concrete, crushing their skulls and bits of blood and brain splattered over the road.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she said faintly, glancing at Bucky. She hurried over to him and panicked. "Are you okay? Where did he get you? Is it bleeding a lot?"

" _Carrie_ ," he stopped her, "He only grazed me. I heal fast."

She looked to the small wound on is arm. Blood was coming out, but not so much. "Okay. I can help it." She held her hand over it, and the flow of blood stopped. "I'm sorry. I should've been there for you. I should've stopped him. I could've stopped them both. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," her words flowed out quickly, but not fast enough to her mind.

"It's alright. It's not your fault. They did something to you-" he stopped, realizing how easily she could be saying those words to him. "Let's go. We've got a long road ahead of us." He pulled her close bedside him and they walked away from the battle scene.

Carrie was surprised by just how aware she was of Bucky's arm around her shoulders. She was also surprised by how much she liked the feeling.

* * *

"'Cause this is thriller, thriller night! And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike!" Carrie sang along with no inhibitions in a much more relaxed mood as they continued on their journey. "Next time we stop somewhere, remind me to to teach you how to moonwalk."

Bucky made a mental not to forget that reminder. And when the song came to the spoken-word part, he contorted his eyebrows in curiosity. "Wait, is that Vincent Price?"

"Very good. Yes it is. See? You're not _completely_ lost to the world," she teased.

However, during "P.Y.T." Carrie became very aware of the perfect specimen of the human male beside her. The long locks of dark hair that fell perfectly around his face even in the middle of battle. Those strong, firm arms the could punch through the toughest of surfaces, yet still be incredibly gentle when necessary. Even the metal one was perfectly structured to look beautiful like the other. And let's not forget those icy blue eyes that seem to hold a thousand years of knowledge like he'd lived a hundred lives all in one.

Get your head out of your ass, Carrie! You're survival partners- that's all. An ex-assassin is not the kind of guy for relationship material and in a crowded car being hunted down by terrorists was certainly not the place for any relationship to blossom. Eyes on the road. Stick with the mission. Wait. What was the mission? For the last four years, her mission was to break free, and once she was free, her mission was to find her family, but she had already tried that and had no idea how to keep up the search. What was she going to do now?

She casually eyed the man beside her. All she had for her own now were a car, some cash, a few simple belongings, some confusing powers, and a man in serious need of help with his amnesia who could act as her body guard at times. In other words, he was all she had... and vice versa.

Don't even let your thoughts go, there Carrie. He is in no mood to sweep you off your girlish feet.

She paid attention to the music to distract herself. Just breath, Carrie. Breathe. Tap to the music. Hum along. Keep your mind away from him. That was a very difficult task.

It proved to be impossible when Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" came on. Carrie refused to look at him for the full duration of the song. Seriously. She could tear down monuments with a thought, but she could not keep herself from fantasizing about the imaginary possibilities if Bucky could reciprocate any affection.

* * *

That day, Bucky was introduced to Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Boston, and Journey.

He especially liked Bruce Springsteen,

Didn't mind Hall & Oates,

Found Guns N' Roses to be very different than what he was used to, but didn't totally dislike them,

And Metallica- Well, they kind of bothered him a bit. They honestly reminded him of his nightmares, but Carrie assured him that you don't have to pay attention to the words; you just have to rock out and enjoy the sound.

* * *

Another day gone by. Another day no closer to Carrie finding her family.

Before turning in for the night, Bucky asked her about something that had been nagging at his brain all day, but he couldn't find a decent moment to ask until now.

"Carrie, I know you probably don't want to talk about this, but I need to know in case we ever have to face this problem again: why did you suddenly stop using your powers in the middle of the fight this morning?"

She smiled only a smile that painful flashback could bring. "They know I really don't like bugs, spiders especially. When I first woke up in their prison, I was blindfolded, but the first thing I felt were little bug legs crawling on me. I freaked out then, and they've used spiders and things against me ever since. I don't know why, but I just kind of lose it when I see _creepy-crawlies_."

"And what was that thing the man had? It looked like a long cord."

"Oh that. It's a thing they used to control my power. They'd put it on my neck and then they'd use my power for God-knows-what. It was like I was a machine they needed to plug into. I wasn't always awake when they did it and I never really knew exactly what they did with my power."

"Okay, so what can I do next time, if they ever try to do that to you again?"

"I don't know. Maybe step on the bugs," she had to laugh at that a little bit, and she was proud that she made him crack a smile too.

Bucky was making some progress in the memory fishing. Although Carrie found a couple of memories of Bucky shooting the redhead Avenger (he had been so _empty_ at that point- nothing but tactics and missions on his mind), she caught a brief flash of a woman's smiling face. That face was so similar to Bucky's that she assumed it must be his mother's or a sister's. He hadn't mentioned any family so it was hard to tell. She made note to try to get all those memories she had collected back to his conscious mind in the morning.

She let go of his head and he slept comfortably. Any bed must feel like a soft cloud after being treated as a prisoner for that long. When she was sure he was deeply under, she sat and stared at the moonlight through the cheap curtain. She spoke then, not a prayer, not a self-talk, but a message, as if just speaking the words she wanted to send would carry the message to its desired recipient.

"Mom, it's Carrie. I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but I want you to know that I'm alright. I looked up my name in the news and it says you stopped looking for me. It doesn't matter; you never would have found me, anyway. But I just want to say that I'm going to keep looking for you. I couldn't look for so long, but now that I can, I won't stop. I'm not in the best position to look right now, but things could be worse. Besides, I've got someone here helping me. You don't have to worry about me- I'm doing fine. It's you I'm worried about. Goodnight, wherever you are."

She leaned back against the headboard and exhaled audibly with weariness. Only about four more hours of quiet until Bucky was having nightmares again.

This time when she noticed him stirring in bed, she jumped to reach his head and experiment with her powers to help him. She would have to face his night terrors just as he did if it was going to work- he was fighting side-by-side with Hydra this time. He didn't like it, but he couldn't fail his mission. Never. He tried to break free, to be himself again, but they hurt him. They'd hurt everyone he loved if he failed. Kill or be killed-no- kill or everyone dies.

She tried to project images of calming scenery in to his dreams: a sunset, a blue sky, a lake, an open field, but she couldn't hold onto any of them for long. Next in her tricks she tried making him hear her voice saying "Bucky, it's alright. Listen to me. It's not real. It's only a dream. You can change it." But the chaos continued.

Her last-ditch effort was to pull up the woman's face from the memory. She appeared in the scene of a dream off to the side just standing there. It looked as if Bucky might focus on her, but then fire erupted everywhere and there was no choice but to wake him up and spare him the misery.

Same as the other night, he sprang sitting up and nearly punched her. Knowing singing was the only thing that would for sure work, had to think of something fast. This time, she called on a song that they'd heard the day before.

" _Desperado, why don't you come to your senses_

 _You been out ridin' fences for so long now_

 _Oh, you're a hard one_

 _I know that you got your reasons_

 _These things that are pleasin' you_

 _Can hurt you somehow..._

 _Desperado, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger_

 _Your pain and your hunger, they're drivin' you home_

 _And freedom, oh freedom, well that's just some people talkin'_

 _Your prison is walking through this world all alone_

 _Don't your feet get cold in the winter time?_

 _The sky won't snow and the sun won't shine_

 _It's hard to tell the night time from the day_

 _You're losin' all your highs and lows;_

 _Ain't it funny how the feeling goes away?_

 _Desperado, why don't you come to your senses?_

 _Come down from your fences; open the gate_

 _It may be rainin', but there's a rainbow above you_

 _You better let somebody love you, before it's too late._ "

Like last time, he slowly relaxed, but there was something different this time. His breathing was even and there came no apology this time- not that one was needed.

"Bucky? You okay?"

He didn't answer.

He'd fallen back to sleep.

She'd never thought it possible to go from such tormented dreams and into easy ones moments later, but she was glad about it.

Carrie didn't have the heart to wake Bucky from his peaceful sleep. His mind was finally giving him a break. No matter how many times she checked, no violent images were playing across his mind. She didn't want to spoil it, especially since it had probably been decades since he'd actually gotten a full night's worth of peaceful sleep. Even as the sky began to turn a light purple shade, signifying the rising sun and near time to get going, she just couldn't.

Fortunately, he would wake up on his own.

With the light of morning just peeking through the curtains, with Carrie all ready to set off for the day's adventures, with no form of danger to face for once. Just a man waking up in bed, with a girl watching over him.

Of course he would say that she should've woken him up sooner, and of course Carrie was quite exhausted herself, but didn't mind. She could sleep in the car.

Music lessons would have to be cancelled that day. That's alright- Bucky was learning fast. With Carrie snoozing beside him she wouldn't get to witness it, but maybe Bucky didn't want any witnesses yet. A small, wonderful thing happened. Bucky hummed softly the melody that he'd heard during the night. And he didn't even notice he was doing it.


	10. I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Author's Note: I had some good laughs with this chapter and I hope you will too. Enjoy!

* * *

"Mom, wherever you are, I met this guy. He's a former assassin, but he's really sweet. I know you'd make fun of his name if you were here: Bucky. I wish you could meet him because I really like him, but I don't know where you are. I'll never stop trying to find you. Until then, give Dad a hug for me and ground Joey. I love you guys so much."

With Whitney Houston perfectly setting the mood, Carrie couldn't deny that these strange feelings were occurring. Like a buzzing sensation in her chest. Whenever he looked at her with those icy blue hypnotist eyes. Whenever she managed to make him grin or weakly chuckle. Whenever he ran his hand through those perfect flowing dark locks. Whenever he touched her to wake her, flesh hand or metal. He never actively tried to make himself more appealing, but that made the buzzing sensation all the more potent. She hoped he hadn't noticed how nervous she'd grown to be around him. She was an expert at masking her feelings, but he was professionally trained at reading people.

Another evening cooped up in a hotel room (not that she minded being so close to him). Hundreds of miles closer to New York to hopefully find the elusive Captain America at the Avengers Tower or Avengers Facility. Nowhere closer to Carrie's family and no leads on their location. She'd just have to make the best of it. Bucky was certainly helpful with that.

Let's just state the obvious here: any idiot with vision can see that Bucky is a babe, but Carrie had no idea how to act around him or how to deal with her newfound feelings. She had been locked away from the world in the prime of her youth- she'd never even had a boyfriend. She knew absolutely nothing about love; all she had to base her idea of love on were the little displays of affection she saw between her parents and the stupid _Twilight_ movies. Was she supposed to tell him how she felt? Would he be uncomfortable? Would he just laugh her advances off as a little girl's fantasies? Or was he so traumatized by war and brainwashing that he had no capacity for romance any longer? From what she'd seen of his past from history lessons and exploring his mind, he'd been a bit of a ladies' man in his day, but he'd have a lot of trouble bouncing back to his old self, if such a thing was even possible. And with everything going on now, a relationship should be the last thing on his mind. He didn't need the added pressure of impressing a girl.

 **OH MY GOD BUCKY'S STEPPING OUT OF THE BATHROOM IN A TOWEL! HOLY MOTHER OF GOD HIS ABS! AAAAAHHHHH! I'M NOT READY FOR THIS! I CAN'T EVEN. OH GOD, AM I DROOLING? NO. OKAY, THANK GOD. AAAAAAAHHHHH! THE STEAM IS DRIFTING OUT THE BATHROOM DOOR AND HIS BODY IS SHINY FROM THE WATER! WHAT IS LIFE?! ASDFGHJKLKJHGFDSAAAAAAAAA!**

Bucky is calm and collected and doesn't even notice Carrie's internal turmoil. Actually, he suddenly realizes that he should have been more considerate. He doesn't want to make her uncomfortable. He hurriedly grabs some clothes and dresses in the bathroom.

...

...

...

After Carrie's brain functions revived, she knew she had to do something. She had no clue what, but this state of wanting something she couldn't quite fathom, not knowing if whatever it was could be attainable, looking at Bucky almost every minute of every day, starving for something and never being able to satisfy that hunger-had to stop.

Hey! Duh. Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? She's a telepath. If she wanted to know Bucky's feelings for her (if any), she could just look into his head herself and find out. Just one little peek.

Invasion of privacy? He'd be fine. What was the point of being a telepath if you couldn't make your life easier once in a while? She'd have to be careful, though. She didn't want this slipping into his conscious mind. That could get awkward.

When it came time for her to delve into his mind, she took a quick detour.

She shouldn't have gotten so excited- she knew that, but she just couldn't help it. She also shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. She couldn't help that either. Butterflies flitted around her stomach with anxiety. He couldn't completely loathe her, right? Okay let's just get this over with before she accidentally wakes him up.

All the way back to their first encounter at the Hydra base, he was initially afraid of her. Everyone had wanted to hurt him back then. But when she worked her magic on him, he relaxed. Granted, she had forced him to feel that way, but she was still the first person he'd gotten anything but misery from. Even as she was erasing his memory, he perceived her like a mother lulling him to sleep.

When they next met, all the mayhem- his gut told him she was a frien-ally. Conflicting thoughts, threats everywhere, he knew she was his only chance. - And she didn't disappoint. He was no exception to the shock that came upon witnessing her wrath and brutality, yet a flicker of awe also stirred inside him.

And going on the road together- Well, there was a goldmine of different feelings there. Her attempts at humor went all but ignored in the beginning, but her later appreciated them for keeping him mind off... The things he didn't want on his mind. If the music was just right, it helped push the soldier back and bring back glimpses of old Bucky.

Here's the part Carrie was especially excited for: the moments when he let himself fall asleep beside her. He had to trust her then. Like she'd said- they needed each other, in more ways than one. He wondered if she knew how soft her hands were. Her voice wasn't like the pitch-perfect sounds that emitted from the car, but it was a blessing when in a nightmare all he knew was pain. She was a comfort to him, even if he didn't know it yet.

Whoa.

She released him of the telepathic search. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards. So there was a heart in Tin Man. Not quite the heart she had hoped for, but she could work with it. It was a miracle in itself that he wasn't just an empty shell after the work Hydra had done on him. She found herself unwilling to stop holding him even after the night's mind investigating had been done. Very very lightly she ran her hand over his shoulder. The slightest motion could wake the trained light sleeper, but she couldn't resist stealing these brief moments when she could express her affection without fear.

It was bound to happen sometime. Young girl. Attractive man who was also her salvation from a life of misery. He had pulled on her heartstrings from the very beginning, when he was just a pitiful animal they abused. Compassion was inevitable for anyone with a shred of decency. Studies show that people who share traumatic experiences often bond with one another. She just hoped that Bucky wasn't too much of a machine to shake off that bond.

This was like junior high all over again. Oh please oh please oh please let him notice me. Please let him like me.

Resources were limited and there was little she could do to try and "woo" him, not that she thought he'd notice anyway.

Oh God, listen to her. You want to be seen as an adult, but you can't let go of your childish mindset. How is he ever going to love you now?

Eh! Now she's worried about gaining his love when there are so many more important things to be doing like finding your family, or helping him get his memories back, or helping him adjust to his new life, or staying away from Hydra, or trying to bring them down.

Quiet down, brain!

She went into the bathroom and splashed cool water on her face. Shut up, brain. You're just tired; that's all. This will all blow over in the morning.

When she returned, she was jolted by the sight of Bucky sitting up with the lamp on. He was squinting in the light.

"There you are," he said, "You know, whatever you've been doing to my head, I think it's working. I had a dream about Steve from a long time ago. I was sleeping like a baby a minute ago. Now I'm wondering if I could even fall asleep with out you."

* * *

Another Author's Note: In case you haven't done so already, I recommend you look up on YouTube Sebastian Stan singing "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." It's exactly as amazing as you would think it would be. Have a nice day and thank you for reading.


	11. Hungry Heart

"So, Mom, that guy I was talking about is really nice. I'm sure Dad would hate him, though. He's got long hair and rides a motorcycle, but he's a real good guy. I think I love him, but I wouldn't know. I wish I could talk to you about it, Mom, and ask for advice. Give everybody hugs for me. I miss you guys so much."

"Mom, I love Bucky. I love him so much, but I don't know what to do about it. He's been through so much I don't know how he'd handle being loved. He may never love me back, but that won't stop me. I wish I knew what to do, but I don't have the luxury of knowing anymore. I need your help, Mom Tell everybody goodnight for me."

She'd lost count of how many days they'd been on the run together. Hydra seemed to be recovered from Carrie's attack and the Black Widow's exposure of them; they upgraded their search and stopping somewhere for a full night was no longer an option. Of course, they were able to fight off Hydra fairly easily, but the constant migrating was wearing them down. Until... Until Bucky had a suggestion. Hydra might loose track of them for a while in another country, or another continent. He had made it very clear that she didn't have to come along, though.

"If you don't want to go, that's fine. I'll find the safest place possible for you, make sure you're off to a good start, then I'll leave. But if you come with me, you have to know that we probably won't find your family wherever we're going," he'd said.

She bit her lip. He eyed her, uneasily awaiting her decision, fearing her answer.

She half-grinned. "Hey, we're in this together, right?"

She never would have anticipated his next action. He swooped in, pulled her close to him, and leaned over to plant a kiss straight over her lips. It was an act of impulse, he admitted, a move he should have calculated, but it turned out positive results despite the risk. They exchanged no other words for the next several minutes, only kisses and warm, caring embraces.

"So, Mom, I guess we're off to Europe! I'd send you a postcard if I knew where you guys were. We always talked about going on vacation there, remember? Now we're running there from a terrorist group, but hey, at least we'll still get some cool sights! Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. And don't think this means I've stopped looking for you. I'm just keeping myself alive so I can find you. I love you all. See you someday."

They had no idea where in Europe they were going, or how they'd get there yet. But they knew they had to leave soon. Oh, they'd figure something out. They always did.

Above all else, running and hiding were much easier when you had someone who loved you beside you. And who knows? without having to watch their back 24/7, maybe they could settle down somewhere, find a home. Home was something neither of them had for years. Love and home. Aren't those the things that everybody wants? They were finally getting something that somewhat resembled a normal life.

With their abilities, they could keep Hydra away for some time and defend themselves when needed. They could get what they needed, and they didn't need much but each other.

What could possibly go wrong?

End of Part One

* * *

Author's Note: So there you have it, folks! Part one of the Bucky and Caroline adventures is over. Not to worry, there will be another chapter here pretty soon. There will be a pretty big jump in time here, then we'll get to the events of _Civil War_ and beyond. I hope you've liked it so far and will come back for more. Thanks to all who read, reviewed, favorited, followed and thank you to all storytellers. EXCELSIOR! (Yes, I know I just stole Stan Lee's word. I just couldn't resist.) Have a nice day! :)


	12. O Mio Babbino Caro

Part Two:

It hadn't felt like two years. How could it have possibly been two years? They had passed by in a blur, in the blink of an eye. All she had to remember them by, all she had to prove that they had actually happened, were vague memories of distant cities.

Berlin, Vienna, Dublin, Rome, Madrid, Florence... in no particular order because Carrie had a hard time believing she had actually been there, let alone piecing together which one had come first. They all seemed like dreams now. Their latest location: Bucharest.

Luckily, Bucky had learned the languages of these places during his training and could navigate these cities very easily. Carrie, however, had only some rudimentary knowledge of the languages. Bucky attempted to teach her, but every time she'd start to get the hang of it, they would relocate to somewhere far away. They'd had very few incidents of Hydra closing in on them in the past, but just the moment you start to let your guard down is the moment they'll catch you, so they kept on moving.

They had just enough time to learn street names, remember certain markets and other landmarks, and maybe learn the names of the neighbors before packing up and leaving. After a couple of cities they started the tradition of taking little trinket souvenirs with them every time they settled down in a new city.

Despite living in some of the less glamorous homes in these cities, their sights were still breathtaking. The beautifully adorned architecture, statues, fountains, and gardens were lovebird traps, traps that not even Bucky and Carrie could escape. With they could hardly afford luxurious excursions, merely looking out a window or sitting on a rooftop peering over the city skyline could kindle the fires of love.

Yeah, they were officially a thing now.

To both of their surprises, Carrie eventually took up more of a homemaker's role since she felt a bit anxious not being able to communicate with anyone. Even reading minds was a hassle in a foreign language. She didn't like being on the streets in populated areas, either. Hearing all those minds buzzing around her- it was sometimes hard to tune them out. Within the safe four walls of their home, she felt more at-ease and tried to make herself useful in any way possible, but did not feel completely like herself until Bucky was there with her.

In two years, there actually was one occasion on which they decided to enjoy the experiences that the city had to offer. It took great amounts of planning, stealth, and telepathic influence to achieve, but one day they finally decided to go see a concert. In the rafters of the National Opera, they could be neither seen nor heard, but they got just enough of a view and the sound of the performances. They might have felt a bit out of place at first in their plain clothes next to all the men in suits and ladies in flowing gowns, but being with each other, they decided nothing else mattered.

The classy singer gracefully stepped up in her elegant gown and stunning jewelry. The audience clapped as the conductor of the orchestra escorted her center stage. A hush fell over the crowd in anticipation, then the music started.

 _O mio babbino caro_

 _Mi piace è bello, bello_

 _Vo'andare in Porta Rossa_

 _A comparar l'anello_

 _Sì, sì, ci voglio andare..._

Carrie let herself rest her head on Bucky's shoulder, which made him pull her in closer.

"You know it's a really beautiful song, considering its context," said Carrie.

"Please enlighten me; I never knew I was so uncultured," he teased playfully.

"It's about a girl who threatens her dad that she'll kill herself if he doesn't let her marry the guy she likes. I just find it funny that something so morbid could sound so beautiful. If you don't know the story behind it, you'd never know the difference and take it as just a sweet love song."

"Well now the words make more sense, but maybe it wasn't meant to be morbid."

Carrie looked up at him in disbelief, disbelief that this six-foot, beefy super soldier could be having a conversation about opera. She could hardly believe it, but she loved it, and that's part of what made her love him.

"I just mean, maybe it's not so bad that she wouldn't let anything come between her and someone she loved."

Oh God those eyes. That voice. He's going to make her heart melt.

"Maybe I'm just old-fashioned," said Bucky, lowering his head a fraction of an inch.

"No." Bucky's head perked up at this one word, but he didn't think she'd notice. (She did, of course.)

"Bucky, I know what you're doing and I promise I will always keep you safe," she lovingly nestled closer.

"Thank you, but you don't have to worry about me, and that's not what I meant."

"Of course I do. It's our job to worry about each other, and then what did you mean?"

"I just mean, would it be so bad, two people who care about each other getting married?"

She turned to look at him directly now, "James Buchanan Barnes, are you proposing to me?"

He shrugged and tried to be all cool about it, "Yeah, if you want."

But Carrie saw right through the nervous wreck's façade and put up her own playfully. "I _would_ want that."

"And do you have an answer?"

"I do."

"And what is that answer?"

"I had my answer when I heard the question in your head a while ago."

Bucky gave her a look of faux betrayal and asked, "Will you tell me?"

"Nope." Carrie wanted to keep up her playful game with him a little longer.

"Aw, come on. You can read my mind, but I can't read yours."

"I'll bet you could if you really tried. Go ahead, read my mind."

He closed his eyes and jokingly mocked her movements when she used the telepathic ability: he pressed his forehead to hers and grasped her head in his hands. "I'm sensing… your answer is yes."

"Not exactly… The answer is, 'I thought I was going to ask you.'"

"So…?"

She smiled a smile that would be burned in his memory, a smile that filled him with bliss. "Yes."

 _E se l'amassi indarno_ Their lips met then

 _Andrei sul Ponte Vecchio_ And didn't let go.

 _Ma per buttarmi in Arno_ All they knew was each other.

 _Mi struggo e mi tormento_ The rest of the world faded away.

 _O Dio, vorrei morir_ They felt they couldn't get close enough to each other.

 _Babbo, pietà, piet_ à The orchestra's vibrations heightened their state of euphoria.

 _Babbo, pietà, pietà_ They loved each other.

They had no way to buy rings, but Carrie had a creative solution to that problem. After she found some scrap metal, she used her power to shape them into rings. With some work, Bucky even got them to have a hint of shine. The final touch, however, was done very delicately by Carrie.

"There, now if we ever get lost and need a reminder of who we are, we'll always look down and see our names on our rings."

In tiny, decorative calligraphy engraved in his ring was _Bucky,_ and on hers, _Carrie_.

Now all they had to do was get married. Oh well, that's a story for another day. For now, they just wanted to get home. Once they did, and their arms were wrapped around each other in bed, Carrie told Bucky a story:

"Someday, we'll live in a little house with a backyard full of green grass and a garden. We'll plant flowers in the front and put lights on the trees every Christmas. We can have cookouts with the neighbors in the summers and we'll be happy there forever."

Works like a charm.

Those words, spoken in just the right tone, slowly, with the perfect amount of pressure applied to a stroke on just the right spot on Bucky's forehead, was the formula that put Bucky to sleep every time. With each word, he relaxed more and more, and her voice chased away all negative thoughts from his mind. He maintained a traces of a content grin on his face even in sleep. Sometimes even on nights when Bucky didn't need any help sleeping, he asked for it anyway. That's okay. Carrie didn't mind one bit. Nothing gave her more delight than to see him so peaceful, and to be able to give him that peace. In spite of all the dangers threatening to disrupt their way of life, they could put all those thoughts away for at least one night. They enjoyed each other's company just like any other couple.

Bucky's peaceful sleep may or may not have been interrupted later by violent nightmares, but even if it was, Carrie was there to help him through them.

* * *

Author's Note: So I kind of felt like a bad Romcom writer during this, but it's the best I could think of. There you go, the next chapter in Bucky and Carrie's lives. After a couple more chapters it'll get really interesting. I hope you've liked it so far. There will be more in the future. Happy reading!


	13. Danny's Song

Author's Note: WARNING Kind of violent nightmare in this chapter so if you don't want to read it, just skip the second chuck of italicized text. Enjoy chapter 13! Thanks for reading!

* * *

Their marriage was totally legal. Totally. Right?

Carrie had to use some telepathic influence to make it look like they had the right papers, and to persuade the minister to drop all suspicion, and to make him forget their names and faces once they left, but it was still totally legal. She joked to Bucky, "You know, the one perk of me not finding my family is that we don't have to ask for their blessing if they're not here."

And Carrie actually wore a dress for the first time in six years.

It wasn't much- just simple sundress. They were even able to find it in white. They weren't so lucky with shoes, though. With tight money and a specific small foot size, she wore her regular sneakers with the dress. Bucky insisted that she looked beautiful no matter what and Carrie merely giggled at the sight of herself. Bucky actually managed to scrape up black slacks and a button-up shirt for the occasion. He was disappointed that he couldn't get a bouquet for her, only a single red rose to put in her hair, but they kept that little flower alive for as long as possible.

"Someday, I'm going to give you the honeymoon you deserve," he promised her once he carried her through the doorway of their shabby, little-too-cozy apartment.

"Don't speak such nonsense. Wherever you are is where I am happy." She casually skipped over to their worn-down cassette player they'd discovered at a second-hand store and the only cassette they owned: Loggins and Messina. "But there is one thing I want."

"Anything."

"Our first dance."

At first, he hesitated. He hadn't actually danced in 70 years. He'd recovered quite a few pre-war memories and caught brief glimpses of dancing with girls on weekends, but those motions couldn't just be picked up again after so long. Yet, he'd had a little practice on the times Carrie grabbed him and forced him to move to one of her favorite songs. _Just go for it_ , he told himself. 'Anything' means anything and he'd made a promise.

She took his nervous hands and pulled him close as they swayed to the slow melodies emitting from the scratchy cassette player. He buried his face in her shoulder and she rubbed her cheek against the soft, warm fabric of his shirt.

 _And even though we ain't got money_  
 _I'm so in love with ya honey_  
 _And everything will bring a chain of love_  
 _And in the mornin' when I rise_  
 _Bring a tear of joy to my eyes_  
 _And tell me everything is gonna be all right._

* * *

Later that night, when Bucky thought about Carrie's stories and all the hopes they held, he asked her, "Do you really see and end to all this?"

"To what?"

"Running, hiding, fighting..."

"Maybe, but we'd need some help. Maybe Steve would be wiling..."

"No, I don't want to bring Steve into this. He's already got enough going on."

Carrie couldn't argue there. After hearing in the news that one of the Avengers had accidentally killed people in Nigeria, not to mention just after battling an army of sentient robots, Steve Rogers probably had enough on his plate. Carrie was especially sensitive to the story, considering that the Avenger who had killed all those people was one with powers almost identical to hers. What she would give to be able to talk to the crimson Avenger for just a few minutes. So many questions. Was she born with her power? How did she keep her power under control (aside from the incident previously mentioned)? What else could she do with her power? Had she tested her limits? What were her limits? Were there any? It saddened Carrie that this Avenger she identified with was now the subject of heated debate.

Those against the Avengers blamed her for the lives lost in Nigeria and questioned her place with the team altogether. Carrie couldn't wrap her head around the argument. True, innocent lives were lost and it was a tragedy, but it was purely an accident and many more lives would have been lost without her. Also, the Avengers fought against Hydra. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. As she made it clear to Bucky, once she could fin her family, her dream was to slaughter every member, ally, or associate of Hydra or die trying. Bucky wasn't too keen on the dying part, but couldn't find it in his heart to disagree with her.

"Hey, even if we can never stop running, it's not so bad. We're together. And you're getting better, so am I." She flashed her smile that always made Bucky feel like he could take on the world, but wanted to stay holding Carrie forever. "I will always take care of you."

Pride, ego, numbness. Not one of those things could stop Bucky from feeling like he needed to hear that.

"Everything's going to be okay," she said before leading into the story:

"Someday we'll live in a little house in a nice neighborhood with trees all around and a cool breeze for flying kites in the summer. There will be kids riding bikes along the sidewalks and people out mowing grass and dogs barking as they play around the green back yards. We'll have fun painting the house our favorite colors and spending nights curled up by each other gazing at stars."

Rest easy now, Bucky. Soon you won't be able to for a long time.

* * *

Carrie had done a lot of thinking in the whopping 36 hours they had been a married couple. The things Bucky said last night- they had her mind always returning to one topic. So when it came time for tonight's story, she thought she'd test out the waters with him.

"Someday we'll live in a nice house in a quiet little town with a white picket fence and flowers all around. We'll have apple trees"-she thought she'd try something new this time- "and a big back yard where our children can play."

Bucky's eyes flashed open and he instantly sat up as Carrie had feared he would.

"Children?" was the only word he could choke out.

"Well we can't completely rule it out this soon," she argued timidly.

"We can't have children."

"I don't mean now, I just mean someday if we can find our dream home and settle down and get your name cleared."

"Carrie, we can't. Even if we get my name cleared, Hydra will never stop coming after us. We could settle down if it was just us, but bringing kids into the mix would only slow us down and put them in danger."

"We don't know that. Maybe by the time we have a family, Hydra will be long gone."

"If not Hydra, then it'll be somebody else. There will always be somebody who wants to use us as weapons. There will always be an enemy."

"Our kids will have the most powerful parents in the world. Nobody would dare try to hurt our kids if they know who we are. If they do, we can protect them."

"We're not invincible. They could find ways to hurt our children if they wanted to."

"Well our kids might not be totally defenseless. They'll probably have some powers of their own."

He threw his hands in the air at the thought of one more thing to worry about. "Then what would we do? How to we teach a baby to control its powers?"

"Mine didn't show up until I was 14. Once they're that age, we will have had plenty of time to prepare them, and if they take after you, we'll just explain that they have to be gentle and control their strength."

"Still, do we want to give a baby this kind of life? Hiding, worrying about neighbors finding out who we really are, someone trying to kill us at every turn?"

"It won't be easy, but we can teach them how to cope."

Bucky looked very tired then. "How can we teach them how to cope when we're barely holding onto ourselves?"

Carrie softened her voice and stroked his shoulders gently, "Because we'll never stop trying. Hey, look at me. We'll be okay." She slowly led him back under the sheets.

"Thank you," he said with his eyes closed.

After planting a kiss, Carrie replied, "No, thank you."

* * *

 _Bucky never saw it coming. The bullet that hit Carrie in the back. He had been so focused on her that he hadn't seen the assassin behind her. She fell to the ground in a puddle of her own blood, but refused to lay down and die. She was trying to reach out for something. Bucky ran to her and tried to stop the bleeding, but had nothing to cover the wound. She spoke feebly and all Bucky could hear was his name. She looked past him, trying to reach, despite his efforts to keep her down. When he looked over his shoulder, he finally saw what it was she was trying to reach: a little bundle of blankets on the ground. He went over to the little bundle and found a tiny baby wrapped inside. The little baby had a dirty face like it hadn't been bathed in days. It made a face like it was about to cry and Bucky reached out to comfort it, but then realized that his metal hand might only scare it. He returned to Carrie to find her lying completely still, eyes staring into blank space. He thought she was gone until she grabbed his wrist with her last ounce of strength. Her grip was tight for someone who'd lost so much blood._

 _"Take care of him." She made one last glance at the baby, then at Bucky and went limp in his arms._

 _He didn't even have time to hold her before he heard a sound behind him. He turned around to see a grenade sitting inches away from the baby. The force of the blast knocked him away and out of the nightmare._

"Bucky! Bucky, honey, it's okay. It's just a dream."

Bucky became aware of the cold sweat that covered his body. "Carrie, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry. There's nothing to be sorry for," she comforted as he knew she would. She was so kind to him and he wondered what he did to deserve it. She sat quietly as he splashed water over himself in the bathroom. When he returned, he pulled her in close and held her tight, which surprised her but she didn't fight it. "You wanna talk about it?" she asked when he was done.

"No. Thank you. Go back to sleep. It won't happen again tonight."

"You're not gonna pretend to be asleep so I'll stop worrying about you, right?"

"Damn telepathy," he joked with the ghost of a smile.

"That's not telepathy. I just know you."

The ghost of a smile became a little more real.

"Hey, we don't have to sleep. We can stay awake and talk about things, or play a game, or draw, or do anything that doesn't remind you of whatever your dream was about."

"No, it's alright, just… come here, please."

She let him cradle her and wrap her up in blankets and he worked his magic on her. When he ran his fingers over her hair the spell was cast and she fell asleep. Then the night worries began. How could Carrie even consider having kids with their pasts? Even if they managed to secure a safe home, they couldn't escape the problem if the problem was themselves. He could already hear the questions coming.

 _Daddy, why do you have a metal arm? Why is Mommy so scared of spiders? How did you and Mommy meet? Why do you have bad dreams all the time? How old are you? How did you get so strong? How does Mommy make things float?_

He couldn't take it.

How could two people who have taken so many lives create life?

He had been programmed to be a mechanical, unfeeling soldier, and no matter how far he had come since he left the Hydra compound, no matter how much Carrie had helped him, no matter how many of his old memories he got back, no matter how much he was becoming more like his old self, no matter how much he was learning to feel for people, his soldier training would always be a part of him. And Carrie. She was kinder than he deserved, but she had blood on her hands, too. Even more than he did. Given, it was Hydra's blood on her hands, which didn't really matter much to Bucky, but she didn't always have control over herself. Of course she would never intentionally hurt a baby, but if she got upset over something- like maybe a spider- she might not even realize her power was hurting the baby until it was too late.

And him- well, he was a mess as he saw himself. The Soldier could come back at any time, and the Soldier would have no regard for life, even if it was a life he had helped make.

No. Kids were out of the question.

Carrie wasn't too surprised when Bucky didn't ask for a story the next night. He also went straight to bed saying he was tired. Something was bothering him, she knew. Something other than what they talked about or one of his nightmares. She decided to let him rest for now and try to take care of it tomorrow. Little did she know that there would be hardly any chance to take care of it tomorrow.


	14. Immigrant Song

Author's Note: Reader beware. Plums ahead. I didn't want to, but I just couldn't help myself. :) Happy reading!

* * *

The next day began just like any other, with only one small difference: Carrie had an unusual food craving. She sent Bucky out to get her some plums.

"It's weird. I've never wanted plums before, but for some reason plums seem really good right now."

While Bucky was out, Carrie decided to brave the city to run some errands. Deep breath. She had been practicing tuning out the "radio stations" of people's minds, but in a city with a population of about 2 million, she had her work cut out for her.

She walked down the streets and tried to keep facing forward, not letting anything distract her, but some of the minds around her were loud, bustling with activity. It didn't help that most of them were thinking in a language she could barely understand, which only made her curious and anxious. She gulped and willed herself to keep moving forward, but the radios were screaming. A woman who'd just lost her husband. A man worried about losing his job and not being able to provide for his children. A woman with a pile of stress at her job and very tiresome children at home. A man who was still fuming about a fight with his girlfriend. All normal human stuff, but carrying the weight of everyone else's stress and pain was something Carrie just couldn't do.

She made her way into a secluded alley to put some distance between her and the radios, which helped, but she also gained an unwelcome visitor.

He wasn't Hydra, she could tell that much from his mind. So he was just your average creep. She couldn't tell what he was saying to her, but from the greedy look on his face, he meant trouble. When he grabbed her wrist, she twisted it so the thinner side could slip between his fingers- a trick her father had taught her. Then she slammed her elbow into his rib cage- a move Bucky had taught her. She had been trying not to rely too much on her telekinesis lately. In case Hydra ever found a way to turn off her powers again, she didn't want to be totally defenseless.

After she collected herself and felt calm enough, she felt ready to return to the streets. The jumbled-up white noise didn't bother her as much this time around, but one radio station came in clearer than the rest. A soft, gentle, welcoming voice.

Carrie had taught Bucky some basic telepathic communication. Just think a short message- a few words or a snapshot of something you're seeing- and imagine sending it to her through your mind. He became pretty successful over shorter distances. His voice came in as just a whisper, but clear as day:

"Carrie. Carrie. Danger. Don't go home." And the message ended. He didn't sound too worried, which suggested that he wasn't in any immediate danger, and she could just pick up the image of their apartment, so that's where he must be. And despite his warnings, that's where she was headed.

Alas, by the time she got there, she found herself surrounded by a bunch of beat-up, half conscious soldiers splayed out over the stairs leading up to the apartment. Looks like some shit went down here and her husband was probably the one who put the soldiers in this state. Whoever the fuck they were, they were going to feel her wrath for trying to hurt her husband. She was about to end them when she noticed something peculiar on their uniforms. _Polize._ German. Hydra was known to use disguises, but she could tell from their minds that these men weren't Hydra. They were exactly what they said they were: police. Which meant that they were coming for Bucky for a crime he didn't commit, at least not willingly. She would have stayed behind to try to explain everything to them and convince them of his innocence, but Bucky wasn't safe yet, so she needed to find him. Seeing the hole in the floor boards where he kept his backpack, she knew he was not planning to return at any time.

She looked to the rooftop next to their apartment building. That was their planned emergency escape route, but he was nowhere to be seen. Still, that's where he must have gone and once she got closer to him, she would be able to follow his telepathic trail. She jumped out a window and glided over to the rooftop, then knew he must be in the tunnels by now. She jumped down and slowed her fall with her mind.

What she found when she landed was chaos. Police cars were in hot pursuit. Innocent people driving by narrowly avoided collisions. Carrie did her best to try to prevent these accidents as she floated off the ground in Bucky's direction. She took out the tires on a few police cars, but couldn't do much else to help him. Before she knew it, she was watching him getting pinned to the ground and restrained. The sight almost killed her and she wanted nothing more than to scream and throw all of his adversaries away, but so many guns were trained on him and they were out numbered. Not that she couldn't have just killed everyone there and helped him escape, but in order to get his name cleared, they'd have to start with talking to authorities. It just so happened that these authorities wanted him dead or in a cage right now. Everything was so hectic. There were two Avengers she recognized there. The one with the other Iron Man suit and the one with the wings. Some guy in a all black cat suit who turned out to be a prince, and finally the Captain himself. It was a comfort to know he was there. If there was anyone else in this world who might give a damn about Bucky's safety, it was that man.

She used her telepathy to keep herself from being seen. She wasn't invisible, but if she didn't call attention to herself, everyone would just look past her. She shot one glance at Bucky and held a finger up to her lips as if to say "Shh." She would be with him every step of the way. Whatever these people had planned for him, she would be there silently in the shadows. And if they ever hurt him, may God have mercy on them because Carrie will stop at nothing to protect him.

"Everything's going to be alright. I'll keep you safe," she whispered into his mind. Still, he looked defeated as they took him away. She wanted nothing more than to be able to touch him.

* * *

Carrie spent the beginning of her time in the Berlin headquarters catching herself up on everything that was going on. Bucky was framed for a bombing in Vienna that killed the king of Wakanda, which would explain his son going after Bucky. Basically, everything that could go wrong _did_ go wrong. She would be willing to testify before whoever and say that Bucky was totally innocent. She would testify that he had been in Bucharest the whole time and couldn't have possibly made it to Vienna and back in that amount of time. She would say everything she needed to say, but under the given circumstances, there's no guarantee that anyone would believe her. That's why she thought it best to stay hidden for a while. She explored the headquarters trying to pick up any valuable information, yet didn't stray to far from where they were keeping Bucky. She was his ghost protector.

Yet she knew she had failed miserably at her job when the lights went out.

Instantly, she bolted to Bucky's prison, but couldn't get there fast enough before the screaming started. They were his screams, in his mind. Overwhelming fear consumed him. It was like every loud noise you ever heard was going off all at once, like blaring red lights blinding your eyes. Like hot boiling water covering every inch of your skin. Carrie didn't know the cause of his pain, but tried he very hardest to stop it. It was difficult, though, when the thoughts would disorient her and cause her to lose balance and fall or run into a wall.

Then, suddenly, it went quiet.

There were no more alarms or lights, or hot boiling water, just a few words that she was able to understand: "Ready to comply."

By the time she got to his cell, it was broken and empty. She had just missed him. She mentally cursed herself for not keeping a closer eye on him, for not staying with him. She could never forgive herself, but that wasn't the priority now; he was. She simply followed the sounds of shouting and beating to find him again. His mind was in total soldier mode. It held only offensive strategies and a mission to get away from that place. Two Avengers and one friend of Steve Rogers were down and more guards were coming.

Someone had done this to him. She knew he wouldn't have lashed out otherwise. Someone here was working with Hydra- they were the only ones who knew how to control their weapon. She would find whoever did this to him and skin them alive when this was all over, but presently she had to get to work and help him.

"Move," she ordered calmly. Sharon, Tony, Natasha, and several guards all froze on the spot and were carried off to the side. The raging bull Bucky was also frozen still. Breathing hard and visibly fighting against Carrie's telekinetic grasp, he was able to make the slightest fidgeting motion. Carrie was afraid she might lose her hold on him, but carefully approached him anyway. His tense body towered over her, but she tried not to flinch or show any emotions but calmness.

"Bucky? It's alright. I won't hurt you." Slowly, to not seem threatening at all, she put her hand to his cheek. Bucky didn't know what to make of the gesture. All he knew in the moments leading up to then was how to be a soldier, and that everyone was the enemy. A gentle touch was something he couldn't fathom, until then. It was like meeting her for the first time and he did not know why she wasn't trying to kill him.

"Listen to me. Your name is Bucky. Look down at your left hand. You have a ring just like mine with your name on it."

He looked down at his hand as she said and saw that she was telling the truth. Just for a fraction of a second, a flicker of confusion flashed across his face, and his breathing slowed a little.

"That's it. There's a little feeling scratching at the back of your mind, something you can't ignore, something you forgot, but it's coming back to the surface. You just need to reach for it." She kept her voice soft and encouraging.

Bucky tried to lash out, but he was limited to only a small movement of his arm. Carrie winced a little at this, but persisted. "It's okay. It's okay. You don't have to fight. We can be friends."

And then a small miracle happened. Bucky looked directly into Carrie's eyes. As she read into his mind, she could tell he was far from being himself, but he was slightly less than the unfeeling berserker.

"Come back to me, Bucky," there was hope for him. She smiled.

Pow! A Panther came pouncing on them and all hope for him was lost.

Bucky snapped back into a killing machine and was in combat with the Prince T'Challa. She might have struck the Prince if he wasn't just that. With Bucky framed for killing the king, she didn't need to also be guilty for the death of the Prince. Before she knew it, the Panther and Bucky were fighting on the stairs, and then he was gone.

Just one step behind again.

She made it to the rooftop just in time to slow down the fall of the helicopter and put a protective telekinetic shield around both Steve and Bucky. She lost them for a moment as the went under the water and was about to dive in after them until she saw Steve rise above the surface, carrying Bucky with him. If there were ever any doubts about trusting Steve, they were all gone from there on out.

Bucky was safe for the time being. That's all that mattered. Everything else could be worked out later, but she followed Steve and his flying friend unseen. She made a vow that from then on, as long as she was still breathing, she would never let Bucky out of her sight again.


	15. Renegade

When Carrie caught up to Steve and the Falcon, she found Bucky's metal arm clamped down as a restraint. Good thinking, Steve. It would protect everyone around him and it wouldn't hurt him either. He was a wildcard at this point. You never knew what you were going to get. She knelt down in front of him and let his head rest on her shoulder as she tried to get a reading on his mind.

"Baby I'm so sorry," she whispered as if he could hear while she looked up his recent memories. A little red book, a set of words, a man's face, fighting. It hit her all at once and gave her a splitting headache. The man with the book- he set this up. He controlled Bucky, made him hurt people, made him hurt himself. Hot rage flowed through her veins and objects around the dirty room rattled, alerting Steve and his flying friend.

They found her crouched over Bucky and she looked up not with fear or aggression, but mild startling.

"Who the Hell are you?" asked Sam.

She stood up, brushed herself off, and extended a cordial hand to the Captain and Sam. "Oh, hi! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm Carrie. I'm Bucky's wife."

That last sentence felt so strange coming out, but she quickly decided she liked the feeling of calling herself his wife for the first time.

"His wife?!" said Steve.

"Yes. It's a long story. I'll answer any questions you have."

"I don't know where to start with that," said Sam.

"How about starting with how you got here," said Steve.

"I followed you."

"How? We made sure nobody saw us," said Sam.

"Sorry. I had to mess with your heads a little bit. I have- uh... special abilities."

They both asked rapid fire questions and it was all quite stressful for Carrie to listen to, so she simply touched their heads and projected her memories onto them. She showed them all the important stuff: her abilities, meeting Bucky in the Hydra base, running from Hydra. She basically told them everything they needed to know of her life story in a few images. The whole thing only lasted a few seconds, and when she released them, they looked confused as Hell, but they seemed to relax their guard a bit around her.

"You've gotta warn somebody before you do that next time," said Sam, still a little shaken.

"So now that we know who you are, can you tell if Bucky's back to himself yet?"

"I can't be sure until he wakes up, but I can try to bring him back now." She sat down by him again and tried to fish for his regular mind, but he kept slipping away every time. It would have to wait. "I can't reach him just yet, but I _can_ help you two a little bit." She channeled her inner Katara and pulled the water from Steve and Bucky's drenched clothes.

When Bucky started stirring, they kept their distance in case they found the Soldier in his place.

"Which Bucky am I talking to?" asked Steve.

Carrie knew her husband was back before he ever spoke. "Your Mom's name was Sarah." A smile took its place on his face. "You used to wear newspapers in your shoes." He eyed his wife standing there with him and said with an uncomfortable smile, "I see you've met Carrie."

Sam and Steve nodded with equal discomfort, and while Steve began questioning Bucky about the doctor he had seen in headquarters, Carrie looked into Bucky's memories.

No, he wasn't the only Winter Soldier.

She saw his flashbacks of the other Soldiers beating him mercilessly, more viciously than needed to overpower him. She looked into their dead eyes and at first felt a wave of sympathy for them. Were they not in the same position as Bucky? Were they not people merely conditioned to act as attack dogs?

No.

They were already monsters before entering the super soldier program. Unlike Bucky, they had no hearts and souls behind Hydra's programming, no chance of redemption. They were already inhuman and Carrie would do anything to destroy them.

Steve and Sam went to speak privately while Carrie embraced her husband, painfully aware of the blood on his forehead. He opened his mouth to apologize for going soldier, but she beat him to it. "Bucky, I'm so sorry."

" _You're_ sorry?" he half joked, then his face turned grim again, "Carrie, did I hurt any-"

"Bucky, don't. You know it's not your fault, but to answer your question: no, just a few bruises." She gave him the biggest hug she could in their current position.

After satisfying their longing to kiss after their separation, Bucky asked, "Carrie, honey, could you get me out of here?"

"Oh! Right. Yes." She lifted the clamp off his arm and he flexed it to make sure it was still in working order. Now granted full mobility, they satisfied their need to hold each other and Steve and Sam eyed them awkwardly.

Once they pulled away, Carrie looked to the other guys and said, "So, Siberia?"

"I don't think it's going to be that simple," said Cap.

Sam only shook his head and rubbed his chin. "This is gonna be a real long day."

* * *

After Steve briefed the four of them on the plan to get to Siberia, he pulled Carrie aside and said to her like a good gentleman, "You know, this isn't a fight you need to be a part of. I understand completely if you back out. You're not an Avenger. This isn't your responsibility. You record is clean and you don't have to spoil it by facing a team of dangerous assassins outside the law."

Carrie took a moment to process what the Cap just said, then nearly burst out laughing.

Bucky put a hand on Steve's shoulder with a smile. "Trust me. She can handle herself." Carrie and Bucky giggled with each other like only a honeymooning couple could.

"Man they're gonna get on my nerves," said Sam to Steve.

"Don't tell me it doesn't make you just a little happy to see him laugh. I mean earlier he was trying to kill us. I'd say this is a big step up."

"Alright, but it's _your_ job to teach them about public displays of affection."

* * *

The crew quickly hit the road to rendezvous with Sharon Carter in their "low-profile getaway car." The hum of the car and motion of driving made Carrie's eyes heavy and her mind foggy. She rested her head on Bucky's shoulder, and with the feeling of his slow, calm breathing, the soft of his shirt, his breath brushing over her head, his warm gentle arm curling around her, she was out like a light. In the rear view mirror, Steve watched Bucky lovingly running his metallic fingers through Carrie's hair and him planting a kiss on her head.

"You know of all the different ways I thought I might find you when I saw you again, married never crossed my mind," Steve spoke up.

"Yeah. I don't know what I did to deserve her," replied Bucky, daring to let himself feel content for a minute.

"Well it's easy to see that she cares about you."

"I know, I just wish I could give her more."

"Hey, we're all just trying to do the best we can, and the way she looks at you, I think that's all she wants."

"So when are you gonna find yourself a girl?" he teased. "Looks like I beat you to it after all."

It turns out the answer was: very soon. Sharon met them in secret and delivered their gear. What a kind soul, willing to put her reputation on the line, give up her way of life for what she thought was right. She didn't leave without stealing a kiss, a kiss that made Sam and Bucky alike proud.

Carrie did not wake until the car came to a stop at the airport. "Is it snack time yet? I'm hungry. Anybody else hungry?" she asked sleepily as she was startled awake.

A van pulled up nearby and Carrie sensed the minds of three enhanced humans within. The first: she saw arrows, a wife and children in a quaint house in the middle of green fields. Carrie couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy for the Avenger. How he'd managed to pull of family life and still keep his job was a magic trick and she wanted to know how he did it. The second was less experienced in the world of superhuman abilities, an outlaw, but with a good heart and also a father. What strange and wildly exciting abilities. The third mind was vast in power. Carrie wouldn't doubt it if the enchantress could see her peaking into her mind right now. She was the one Carrie was after all this time. Carrie almost couldn't process the mind before her. It had lived such a full, eventfully life already, and then ad the power of some entity Carrie couldn't even fathom; it was like trying to comprehend the entire universe all at once. Fear of an migraine prevented Carrie from digging any deeper.

The tiny one, Ant-Man, Scott made a fool of himself in the most adorable way introducing himself to Steve. Bucky was calm and collected like he'd fought aside and against armies of enhanced humans a dozen times before, but like Scott Carrie couldn't help but feel herself turning to fangirl mode a little bit surrounded by her new teammates. Amidst the turmoil and tension between friends and comrades, the public outrage at some of the Avengers' actions, despite the looming threat of the super-soldiers destroying whole countries at a time, Carrie couldn't resist a bit of laughter. She only wished Bucky could share in her amusement, yet he still kept a grim frown on his face. He hadn't been himself lately. Maybe throwing a few punches will help get him back to normal.

"Suit up," ordered the Captain, which made Carrie suddenly realize that she didn't have a suit. Oh well, her white jeans and black t-shirt would have to do for now. However, all thoughts of superhero apparel went out the window when she saw Bucky's abs as he changed out of his clothes, which led to a quick make-out session.

"We've been married for three days and already everybody's trying to tear us apart," said Carrie, trying to keep a playful tone in her voice.

"We won't let that happen. Stay safe out there."

"I could say the same thing to you. That Panther guy thinks you killed his father and he's Hell-bent on getting his revenge, not that I blame him, but he's not going to stop for anything to get to you."

"He _is_ a serious threat, but I'm not too worried when I've got you on my side," the smile captured for just a moment was gone, then he asked something Carrie never thought she'd hear from him, "Do you ever get tired of fighting all the time?"

She turned to look him directly in the eye, "For you, no. I just don't want to fight these guys, Steve's friends. They're not the real enemy and it's stupid that they can't all get on the same page, but we don't have time to talk it over just now."

"Let's move out!" they heard the Captain shout, and they came together for one last kiss.

"Be careful," he warned protectively.

"Everything's going to be okay. We're in this together."

And the Captain's team assembled.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you for your patience, my wonderful readers! Up next is my take on the battle sequence. I hope I can do it justice. Enjoy, and as always, thanks for reading!


	16. Some Nights

Author's Note: This chapter is basically the character of Carrie inserted into the battle sequence of the _Civil War_ movie. I normally don't like reading fanfiction that is set during the events we see in the movies like with this chapter, but I tried to make it my own and as entertaining as possible. A couple of semi-important plot developments happen in this chapter, so read on! Enjoy and as always, thank you for reading.

* * *

Bucky and Carrie didn't like separating for the battle, but it was good for strategy and they trusted each other's abilities enough to let go of each other for a short time.

"I don't understand. Why don't I just freeze them all? I could have them down in a heartbeat," said Carrie after she picked up on the signals of several other Avengers in the airport.

Bucky placed an affectionate hand on her shoulder, "Because you might accidentally kill them." Although Bucky felt no attachment to the other Avengers and didn't really mind hurting them for the greater good, he still respected Steve's wishes and swore to only incapacitate them in the least painful way possible.

The Scarlet Witch's fingers twisted and contorted in pre-battle nerves. Glowing crimson-colored mist flitted around her hands.

Carrie slowly approached her, "Your powers, they're..."

Irises flashed red and met with sapphire ones. "Like mine," Wanda finished, awestruck.

Her mind was just sitting there right before her, like memories spread out on a plate for her choosing. After one glance, Carrie said, "Why are you unhappy that everyone is afraid of you? It gives you power over them."

Wanda didn't get a chance to answer, though. Clint ushered them over to a spot where they would be able to watch over their comrades from afar.

"I can sense them, but I can't tell where they are. There's six of them," said Carrie with her eyes closed as she tried to telepathically locate their possible opponents.

"Six?" asked Cap.

"Guess we'll find out who our mystery guy is in a minute," said the Falcon.

Cap headed for a helicopter while Falcon and Bucky scouted out for the quinjet. Carrie stayed with Hawkeye and the Scarlet Witch, as Carrie wished to observe the latter's abilities. The helicopter was quickly shot down by the man in the suit of armor, Tony Stark himself, the Iron Man. Through their earpieces they could hear their teammates speaking, but not the others. No problem, Carrie just tapped into their opponents' minds and to let her Clint and Wanda hear the other side of the conversation.

"Ross gave me 36 hours to bring you in. That was 24 hours ago. Can you help a brother out?" she spoke simultaneously with Iron Man. "Your judgment is askew. Your war buddy killed innocent people yesterday."

Then she copied a new speaker, "Steve. You know, what's about to happen. Do you really want to punch your way out of this one?"

She momentarily lost connection, but got it back again as she copied Tony again, "And you've been a complete idiot. Dragging in Clint. Rescuing Wanda from a place she doesn't even want to leave. A safe place. I'm trying to keep... I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart... Alright, I'm done. You're gonna turn Barnes over and you're gonna come with us. NOW! Because it's us! We're squaded JSOC, guys, with no compunction about being impolite."

It was all a blur after that. One moment, they were headed for the quinjet, the next she heard Prince T'Challa saying he was going after Bucky and her protective instincts kicked in. You think you're tough, Panther? Watch me pounce. She helped Cap escape the claws of the Black Panther. She almost got shot by Stark's friend... what was his name? Oh, War Machine, Rhodes. Right.

"Stay away from Barnes and you won't get hurt," she warned in a telepathic message.

He looked spooked at hearing a voice in his head, but given recent events, he wasn't too surprised. "Who the Hell are you?" God that question was getting annoying.

"What? You've never seen a girl with superpowers before?" she asked rhetorically as she shoved him into a plane with her mind.

Oh shit. Clint and Wanda need help. They were getting shot at by Iron Man and Carrie deflected those shots and once Stark was buried under a pile of cars, that's when the real crazy shit started. They all met up and Carrie waved to Bucky, "Hi, honey!" and he briefly smiled back. They were all running. The quinjet was in sight, just a stone's throw away. The whole team was together it it was awesome and it looked like they were going to make it, and then a giant beam of yellow light blasted a line in front of them and stopped them in their tracks.

And there they were, all of Team Iron Man and all of Team Cap lined up and ready swing. The initial attempts at diplomacy from the other side were honorable, but in the end, their goal was to take Bucky away, so Carrie had to stop them. It was a shame, though, that the most powerful people on Earth who had once shared unbreakable bonds were ready to claw at each other's throats. Imagine how powerful they'd be if they worked together.

"What do we do, Cap?" asked Sam.

Simple, but true, "We fight," Steve answered.

Bucky and Carrie shared one last meaningful glance as they advanced on the other team. When opposing sides finally clashed, it was like Hell breaking loose, yet thrilling at the same time. Her arms were quickly pinned to her chest by sticky strings, limiting her telekinetic range. She looked into her opponent's head, this Spider-kid was faster than her, but man he's just a kid. _Please don't make me hurt a kid_ , she thought. And then Wanda covered her and started throwing cars at him and stuff, so Carrie had enough time to twist free of the webs. Next, the floaty guy with the pink flesh took a particular interest in her. He blasted his beams of energy at her, and all she could do was jump out of the way and dodge. She tried to push the beams of light out of the way, but found she had no control over them. They seemed to be coming from the little yellow gem on his forehead, so she tried to pull that away with her mind- also with no success. He finally blasted her on the shoulder, not enough to do any real damage, but it used up all her patience and she decided to even the playing a little bit. She levitated herself up to his level and tried to throw him backwards with her mind, but only managed to put him back a few feet.

What the fuck are this guys powers?

Seriously, everything she tried to do, he thwarted. She threw a car at him and he went right through it. She tried to telepathically disable him, clapping her hands together and pointing them in his direction, and it only seemed to make him dizzy for a few seconds. It should've made him fall to the ground. In all honesty, she was kind of glad she didn't really hurt him because he seemed special and like he had a kind heart (and he was oddly kind of hot), so she thought she'd pry into his mind a little farther.

If Wanda's mind gave her a headache, the Vision's head made her mind explode. She couldn't even get a full look, but it was enough to send her plummeting to the ground. So much power inside one tiny gem; infinity was a hard thing to fathom. Clint caught her between shooting arrows. She only had enough time to say," Thank you," before they were both thrown back into battle. she caught one glance at the Vision while trying to regain her balance. He actually looked a bit guilty for hurting her so bad, even though it really wasn't his fault.

Bucky was in the middle of a brawl with Black Panther. Carrie tried to drive the Prince away, but was still trying to get her head back together. The Panther was about to slash into Bucky's throat when a ring of scarlet mist formed around T'Challa's claws and she tossed him into a jet bridge. Carrie made a mental note to thank Wanda after the fight was over for all she'd done for them and the team.

The team scattered again, splintering off into their own separate skirmishes. This battle was taking too long, and Bucky knew that. "We gotta go. That guy's probably in Siberia by now," he said.

Carrie ducked behind an airplane with him and Cap.

"I'm gonna draw all the fliers. I'll take Vision. You get to the jet," said Cap.

And then Falcon spoke up with the words no one wanted to hear, but everyone needed to hear, "No, you get to the jet! Both of you! The rest of us aren't getting out of here."

Hawkeye agreed, "As much as I hate to admit it, if we're gonna win this one, some of us might have to lose it."

Those words were like a punch to the stomach for Carrie. She could already picture it now- black vans driving up with guns and chains and a special straight jacket just for her. Her body seized up at the thoughts.

Bucky noticed the shift in her behavior and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Carrie, listen to me! It's gonna be alright. They're not going to take you away. We won't let that happen. You need to snap out of this and come with me. Carrie!"

But Carrie was already gone by this point, mind somewhere else. Bucky tried gently shaking her out of her stillness when Scott executed his "diversion." The Ant-Man stood stories tall towering over all the other Avengers and astonishing them. At the sight, Carrie came back to her senses a bit.

"See? We're getting out of here. Come on," said Bucky.

After a couple deep breaths, "Okay. We're getting out. Okay, let's go." And she followed Bucky and Steve to the quinjet. They were just a few yards away when Carrie sensed something else coming. No. No. No. No. Backup is on the way. They're getting so close. They'll be locked up. No. No. No. No. No. She can't go in a cage again.

"They're coming for us," she said, grabbing Bucky's arm and she began shivering all over. Bucky's words were of no use now as her quick breathing turned into hyperventilating. "No. No. I won't go in handcuffs again. No! I'm not going into that cage again!"

Carrie let out an ear-bursting shriek as a blast of her power knocked out all the windows in the airport, pushed all airplanes back several feet, and shook up members of both teams locked his arms around her and she struggled against him. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her, but the Iron Man's team was already closing in on them. With only seconds before their chance of making it to Siberia was lost, he had to act fast. "Carrie, I'm so sorry," he said and whacked her over the head. She fell like dead weight into his arms.

The flying guy on the other side blasted a tower in front of the quinjet. The tower would have crashed and blocked them, but it was held up by a cloud of red mist. The woman in red held together their escape route until she was knocked down by the other man in the metal suit. Bucky covered Carrie's head with his metal hand as he and Steve dashed under the crumbling tower. They were stopped by the redheaded Avenger. She exchanged a few words with Steve, but Bucky didn't really pay much attention- all he could think of at the moment was getting Carrie out of there and somewhere safe. He tensed up ready to dodge when she raised her weapon, but found that it was aimed at one of her comrades behind them. He spared only a nod in gratitude before he and Steve dashed onto the quinjet. He quickly buckled Carrie into a seat and strapped himself in and they took off for Siberia.

It would have appeared that Carrie was out cold. Her body was totally limp. Her eyes were only open in little slits. But while she couldn't move, had no control over her body, she was still vaguely aware of her surroundings. She could see Steve peer out the window and watch the company following behind them. She could just make out the hazy images from another Avenger's point of view. The Vision shot a blast of energy that was meant for same, but hit Rhodes instead and sent him plummeting towards the Earth. Darkness closed in on Carrie's vision and her eyes begged to be shut. With what little strength she had left, she willed Rhodes to slow down in his fall. She couldn't tell if she was successful or not, but Rhodes was brave and a decent person, both qualities that seemed hard to come by these days. He was flawed and and on the other side, but he truly had the best intentions at heart and didn't deserve to die. There are much worse people in the world than him, people the bloodshed should be saved for. No, she didn't want him to die. That was the last thought on her mind before she was really out cold.


	17. I Started A Joke

Author's Note: Some semi-violent parts in this chapter. Carrie messes with somebody's mind, so if you don't want to read it, skip over the part between the stars like these ***** Enjoy!

* * *

Carrie woke with a start to find herself on the hard floor of the quinjet. She was alone and would have freaked the fuck out if she hadn't seen the note beside her. She knew Bucky's handwriting anywhere, but if anything, knowing that Steve and Bucky were out there facing five ruthless assassins alone freaked her the fuck out even more. They could already be dead by now for all she knew. Her mind jumped instantly to the worst case scenario as she heard a banging sound from outside the quinjet doors.

Carrie stood and raised her hands defensively. After another bang on the door it opened and Carrie prepared to blast the invader to high Heaven. The hatch gradually opened to reveal a man's imposing figure standing on the outside.

"Carrie, are you okay?" asked the star-spangled soldier.

"Steve! Where's Bucky?" she ran up to him and asked frantically.

"He's fine. It's over. Come with me. No wait, let me carry you," he offered as a proper gentleman would.

"No, it's fine." She hovered over the ground and glided as fast as he could jog and he led her into an impressive- looking black jet. Bucky was lying across a row of seats, flesh arm dangling over the edge and metal arm- oh God!

Carrie clasped her hands over her mouth and rushed to her husband. Her eyes fell upon his shoulder. Where an arm should have been was instead blank space. His shoulder was a mess of shredded up metal and loose wires.

"Bucky, honey, are you okay?!"

His face turned to a weak smile. Really, all of him seemed to be weak, but the sight of his wife made him joke, "Hi, baby. You missed all the fun."

"Are you in pain?"

With a labored breath, but unrelenting smile he said, "No, I'm good. I've had worse." But the quick moan he gave disagreed.

Steve came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be alright," he assured and left to get first aid supplies. Carrie held Bucky's hand until Steve returned with inhuman speed and got to work patching up his friend, then himself.

As soon as she could be, Carrie was beside Bucky again. "What happened?" she asked.

"That Stark guy really packs a punch. Word of advice: don't try to pull at that glowing thing in his chest."

"Stark's here? Wait, no. You don't have to speak; just relax." She touched him and briefed herself on the recent events by seeing them from his point of view from his mind. She saw the whole thing- the fight, Tony's parents, Steve and Stark beating the shit out of each other, Steve dropping his shield, Bucky's arm being blown off. Taking it in all at once felt like being hit with a semi-truck, but she fought to keep it to herself for Bucky's sake.

"It's alright. We'll talk about it later. You get some rest now so you can get better." She kissed him on the one part of his face that wasn't splattered with blood, and as she placed her hands on either side of his head, he knew what she was about to do. He didn't fight it. He just let her send him into calm unconsciousness let his body sink into the seats.

No sooner than Bucky closed his eyes did Carrie hear footsteps behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Cap standing beside none other than Prince T'Challa himself... and neither of them were punching each other. Shocking.

Still, Carrie tensed up protectively. Noticing her reaction, the Prince extended his hand in a friendly gesture. "Do not be afraid. I am here to make peace with you."

His mind was clear, telling the truth, but when Steve roughly ushered in the other man, Carrie's fierce stance returned. His face could make your blood run cold. He could make you feel like dying with just a look. Carrie unconsciously reached out to Bucky lovingly as her eyes locked on the man. This gesture did not go unnoticed. She could sense it in his face and his mind what he thought of it. - _The woman who loves the monster. How? So sick._

"YOU!" Carrie would have pounced on him if T'Challa hadn't intervened.

"Miss! Miss, your thirst for vengeance leaves you blind. This is the man who killed my father, and he will be brought to justice, but not by our own hands."

"Alright," she cracked her neck, "I swear I won't lay and hand on him." No, she wouldn't, because she'd already gotten a hand on him- on his head. And that was all she needed.

Bucky slept quietly. Prince T'Challa flew the jet and Steve sat dutifully with him behind a closed door. None of them could see or hear Carrie and the Vienna bomber, the ideal setting. The man, Zemo as she found in his head, had killed innocent people just to get to Bucky and harm him, but she was mistaken before: he wasn't Hydra. She vocalized that once Zemo had been restrained and Steve and T'Challa left them alone.

"You're not Hydra. You killed an agent of Hydra. Thank you." She sat across from him on the jet, staring him down. His face was blank, not defeated, not smug, just nothing.

Two can play at that game. She kept her tone even and face as empty as his. "You've lost everything," she read him like a book, "You're as thirsty for vengeance as I am, but you're all wrong. I want to say first that I sympathize with your actions, but you hurt my husband and hundreds of other innocent people in the process. I won't tolerate that."

His lips then curled up in a weary, exhausted half-grin. "You think there's anything you can do to punish me that I haven't already done to myself?"

Oh, she loved it when they invited challenge. "No, but I can pour salt on the wounds." *****

She kept her promise. She did not lay a hand on Zemo, but it was a long flight. As much as she wanted to rip out his intestines and strangle him with them, she knew no amount of torture could hurt a man who had absolutely nothing to lose, but there were other tricks up her sleeve. The others might have heard him begging and screaming and crying if Carrie hadn't telepathically blocked them from hearing it. She conjured illusions of his son bleeding and crying standing before him.

"Daddy, why didn't you save me? You said we were safe. You promised, Daddy. Why didn't you keep your promise?" Then the boy disappeared.

Next came the image of his father looking very disappointed. "It is a father's duty to protect his family. You have failed, my son." And then the father dropped dead before them.

Finally, the wife came up to him with a haunting ghost of a smile on her face. she reached out and touched his cheek. Zemo allowed himself to close his eyes for just a second, and when he opened them his wife was shaking her head shamefully while blood leaked all over her blouse and out of her eyes. She fell to the floor and he couldn't reach out to touch her. *****

When she was done, Zemo was shaking uncontrollably, dripping sweat, and had a look of fierce loathing on his face. "You think you're the only one who can be torn away from family?" she asked. Just to make the message stick, she pulled up a memory she had gotten from one of her teammates during the fight and projected the memories into Zemo's mind. Wanda's brother dashed over to save an Avenger and a small Sokovian boy and got filled with bullets as a result. Wanda fell to her knees and screamed.

"The Avengers made it their top priority to protect innocent civilians amidst the battle, but accidents can always happen. It's also pretty hard to keep people out of the fight when you're being attacked by an army of nearly indestructible murderous robots." In case he needed more evidence, she showed him an image of Tony Stark carrying a family away from the danger in a bathtub.

For her final argument, she said, "The Avengers are flawed, but they they do the best they can. You're putting your energy into the wrong place, fighting the wrong enemy. I might have offered you a chance at redemption, but I see your mind is already made."

He eyed Bucky with a simple wicked sneer. "How long do you think you can protect your husband when the monster coming after him is himself?"

Carrie's eyes narrowed and she reached her hand out in his direction and curled up her fingers, which had the same effect as choking him. "You know damn well he's more innocent than anyone else here and I will not stop fighting until my last breath to keep him safe. I've heard enough from you." She threw his head back into the head rest hard enough to knock him out. She might've accidentally given him mild whiplash, but she didn't care either way.

Carrie occupied her time for the rest of the flight by wiping away the rest of Bucky's blood, banishing all oncoming nightmares, and trying her hardest to think of a way to get out of this mess the Avengers had gotten into. She didn't even know where they were going, but she trusted Steve. She wondered if her other teammates were okay, if Rhodes had survived his fall. All the thoughts swarming around her head might have driven her mad if she hadn't been able to hold onto Bucky to keep her mind occupied. Even in his unconscious state he was a comfort to her. Just his presence made everything better.

He didn't wake up until Steve came in to check on them. He was startled and tried to sit up, but quickly decided that was a bad idea. At about the same time, Zemo regained consciousness too. When Bucky noticed him sitting there, both men had a staring contest until Carrie whispered to Bucky, "It's alright. He already confessed. He'll be taken away soon."

She could tell that Steve was worried that one of them would kill Zemo right there, but Bucky then rested his head back down and the tension de-escalated. Soon Zemo was gone and they were left in peace. Carrie would have liked to stick around to see Zemo getting handcuffed and shoved in a cell, but they had other priorities.

"Are you alright?" asked Carrie.

"I will be," answered Bucky, sitting beside her and leaning his head on hers.

"Stark tried to kill you," she said flatly.

"I probably would have done the same in his shoes."

"I want to hate him, but I can't."

"Then don't, but I wouldn't trust him either."

"Oh, no. Definitely not."

Then Bucky removed all physical contact with her and stared forward, refusing to look her in the eye. He let out a sigh and said, "Carrie, there's something I need to tell you."

This worried Carrie. "Bucky, what's wrong?"

"August 16, 2010."

Carrie knew that date. It was the most important date in her life after her birth, but she never told it to Bucky.

"The orders were simple. Do it quick, no witnesses. I didn't understand what was so dangerous about the mission, but I didn't question the orders. We came to the address and I saw you standing there out in the open." His voice cracked a bit when he continued, "I shot you with a tranquilizer and carried you away. I remember being surprised how easy it was, how no one was even looking out a window to see. We went back to the compound and I saw them put you in a blindfold ans straight jacket, and that was the last I saw of you. They congratulated me on having a smooth, successful mission and then they put me back under the ice."

Bucky looked down to see a single teardrop fall onto her lap. "I'm sorry. I should've told you a long time ago."

She looked up at him with hurt eyes. He didn't expect any less than wrath from her, but she looked right into his eyes and said the words, "You're forgiven."

She made an effort to smile and did the opposite of what he expected and wrapped her arms around his chest. "If you hadn't done it, then somebody else would have, and there's nobody else I would have wanted to do it. If you think about it, it means we were together from the very beginning. I'm glad about that."

Bucky couldn't afford to be afraid to touch her anymore. He caved into his wishes and held her tight with his remaining arm for the rest of the flight.


	18. Goodbye Stranger

T'Challa welcomed them into Wakanda and granted them asylum. Steve and Bucky received medical attention and Carrie ate her body weight in whatever food she was offered. To be fair, she did throw up the first dish she had. She guessed that her body needed time getting used to Wakandan cuisine. Finally, the sun set over the dazzling Wakandan jungle and formidable panther statue within the greenery. Steve, Bucky, and Carrie all reveled in the sight. The sky looked like someone took an endless array of colors and splashed it all over. The new King watched his three awe-stricken guests and couldn't help but chuckle and feel a sense of pride.

T'Challa had said that they were welcome to stay there as long as they needed, and after such a long day, none of them were about to argue. Although Carrie and Bucky retired to a small bedroom, they both felt restless. As they got to talking, Bucky tried to bring up a particular subject, but couldn't bring himself to say the words. So instead, Carrie pulled what he was trying to say from his head.

There, she saw ice.

"No. Baby, why?" Why would he want to lie there seemingly lifeless for months without end?

"Just listen to me. I'm tired of being afraid of losing control again. One day when figure out how to get Hydra's programming out of my head, then you can wake me up, but until then..."

"I don't understand. We've been getting along just fine for years."

"I know but, what if another little red book shows up again?"

"Then I'll help you."

"There's no way you could be there every single time, and you shouldn't have to."

"It's my choice. I made that choice when I took this ring."

"I know, but if someone wanted us to be separated, they could find a way. Then anything could happen. I could hurt people. I could hurt Steve, or they could make me hurt you. Hydra spent years finding ways to control us; they're not going down without a fight, and I don't want you to feel responsible for anything I do when I'm the Soldier."

"Bucky, we're in the middle of the jungle. No one even knows we're here."

"We can't be too careful. There's a whole world of resources they could use to find us and for all we know, we could've been followed here."

"Honey, I know you're just being careful, but are you sure this is the solution? It'll just make you more vulnerable to an attack. I mean, look at what Zemo did to the other soldiers. I don't want that to happen to you."

"It won't. I checked out T'Challa's technology. It has bullet-proof glass, powerful life support systems. The point of this is for you to _not_ worry."

"Stop worrying about me worrying about you."

"But don't you want to stop losing sleep because of my nightmares? I'm a wanted criminal and the world has seen my face. Nobody knows about you yet. You have a chance at living your own life and not hiding with me. You can do anything you want. You can go back to school. You can keep looking for your family. I won't be holding you back."

Those words stung Carrie more than Bucky would ever know. "You're not holding me back from anything. I love you."

"I love you too. I love you so much, Carrie. I want to give you the life you deserve, but we can't have our little quiet house until we're completely free from Hydra." He found himself desperately wrapping his arm around her midsection and burying his face in her shirt. "Please, Carrie. You're my life and my love. I want to wake up beside you every day, and I'm sorry, but I just want to be better for you. Please. This is what I want."

How could she say no to that?

She had the faintest hint that he might have been crying, but she didn't look down to confirm it. "If you're sure, then okay." She couldn't believe she was actually agreeing to this.

"Thank you," he sighed. He laid down with his head resting on her lap, closed eyes, and one of the most peaceful smiles she had seen on him. "I love you so much, Carrie. I know these last few years haven't been easy on you, but I just wanted to say thank you for always sticking by my side."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Everything's going to be okay." She held up his hand and pressed it to her mouth.

* * *

Neither of them really slept much that night. They wanted to spend the rest of their time together savoring each other's presence. Carrie kissed all of Bucky's scars, especially where flesh met metal. On one occasion that Bucky actually did sleep lightly, Carrie locked herself in the bathroom and ran her hands over her face out of stress. Why had she just said "Okay" to Bucky's plan. After all they had conquered together, she didn't know how she would manage without him. But she couldn't go back on her promise now, not after his desperate plea. Although, maybe this would be an exciting challenge for her: finding a way to make it in the world without the support of the only person she'd ever known since she was free. Ugh, that sure wasn't helping anything. Okay, try looking at the bright side. This will mean more time to practice powers with Wanda. Wait. What even happened to Wanda and the others?

Carrie really could have used some good news right then.

She examined her body in the mirror; something was keeping her from feeling like her regular self. She looked over herself from the side view. She tried to play off these feelings as just stress, or adjusting to all the changes that had occurred over the past couple of days, but she knew she'd be kidding herself. Whatever. She'd try her damnedest to pretend everything was swell for the next few hours for Bucky's sake.

He was sitting up waiting for her when she returned. Rubbing his eyes he asked, "You okay?"

She didn't have to force her smile at the sight of him. "Yeah. Fine." She spent the rest of the night memorizing everything about him, for she didn't know when she'd be able to be with him again. She studied his image: the exact way his hair curled and hung over his face, how it softly tickled her skin, it's sweet smell. His skin was so warm as it pressed against hers, sleek and gentle yet so strong. She tried to memorize every detail of his hand, imprint the image of every line in her mind and the taste of his lips. She would replay his voice in her head over and over again to remember his patterns of speech and tone, every breath between sentences.

Dawn came too soon for the couple and ended their time together. As they emerged from the bedroom, they found Steve already awake and conversing with someone quietly.

"Oh, hey. I see you two are feeling better," said the redhead Avenger.

Carrie stepped forward and held her arm out in front of Bucky protectively.

"It's okay," said Steve, "She's here to help."

Carrie double checked for a lie in her mind and found it was the truth.

"Steve, I need to talk to you."

Oh God. It's already starting.

While Bucky spoke to Steve privately, Carrie spoke to Natasha. "I'm sorry for back at the airport. I just couldn't let anybody hurt my husband."

"Don't sweat it."

"And thank you for letting us go."

"Don't mention it."

"No, really. The whole world is against us, and you don't know how much it means to me to have someone watching our backs. Thank you. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you..."

She actually smiled a genuine smile. "It's nothing. That's what we do for each other."

* * *

"Steve, I know you've done a lot for me lately, but I need to ask you for one more thing."

"Anything."

"I need you to look out for Carrie for me. I know she can take care of herself, but she gets... upset over certain things. You've seen what she can do. Just please, be there for her."

"I will."

"And she doesn't like spiders. Spiders freak her out. Oh, and crowded places. They bother her because she hears everybody's thoughts all at once." He sounded like a parent preparing a babysitter for all his child's needs.

"Alright. Don't worry. She'll be fine and so will you. You ready?"

"Ready."

* * *

A doctor took Bucky's pulse in the lab where he would stay for the next-who knows how long? "You're going to be okay. We'll find a way to help you. Just go to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up." Carrie pressed her forehead against his and said, "Have good dreams, okay? Try not to miss me too much."

He promised he would, even though he and she both knew that there would be no dreams for him, no conscious thoughts. While he was in the ice, he would be as good as dead. Even the chamber looked like a Snow White style glass coffin.

Bucky didn't want her seeing him like that, and she respected his wishes. Steve, however, had already seen him in that state and stayed with him until the end. Carrie was glad about that; she didn't want him to be alone as he went under. They exchanged "I love you"s and held onto each other as long as they could. With one last look, she closed the door behind her. Instantly, she felt sick. Her whole body quivered and she felt as if someone was squeezing her lungs. She was neither physically, nor mentally, nor emotionally prepared for this moment. The only thing allowing her to cling to her sanity was her last connection with Bucky:

"Someday, we'll live in a little house on a quiet street, where the sun always shines. There will be blue, cloudless skies and green grass everywhere. We'll sit outside and feel the sun warming our faces, and the cool breezes will brush against our skin. The scent of summer flowers will be carried to us, and we'll make wishes on soft, white dandelio-"

He's gone.

Like a brief candle out. She felt it, his life force, his mind, gone. Her breath quickened, but she couldn't seem to get enough air. In all the turmoil, she didn't even notice that she was making the floors rumble, or the windows crack. Seemingly out of nowhere, Natasha came and spoke something to her, but it was only heard as muffled sounds to Carrie. Natasha grabbed her arm, a gesture meant as a comfort, but Carrie perceived it as threatening, and tossed the Widow across the floor.

The windows crashed in and Carrie dropped to her knees. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Natasha raising her hand to stun her, and in instinctive defense, she pinned her against the wall. Finally, Steve came dashing out, and wrapped his arms around her to keep her from hurting anyone, but also meant as comfort.

"Carrie, stop! You'll hurt him."

And the chaos ended.

The world stopped shaking, and Steve's grip turned into and embrace. Water rimmed up in Carrie's eyes and all her strength abandoned her.

"I know, Carrie. I know," were Steve's words of comfort. "I'll miss him too, but he'll be alright. I know he will. He's strong. You know, we should be glad for him. He was happy that he was finally able to make a choice on his own, a choice that would protect everyone, protect you."

Carrie sniffed and tried to collect herself. "I know. It's just... our baby." She looked down and cupped her hands over her midsection.

Both Steve and Natasha, who had recovered quickly, were stunned into silence.

"I couldn't tell him, not when he was finally about to get what he wanted. And I don't know if we should wake him up when the baby comes, or if it'd be safer without him."

Finally, Steve was able to speak. "How far along are you?"

"I'm not sure."

He sighed, trying to fight off all traces of weariness or panic and said, "Okay, We're going to get through this. It'll be okay. We're going to help you. Right, Nat?"

Natasha stuttered at first, as if shaken out of a trance, and tried to sound reassuring as she said, "Yeah. Of course. We'll all be one big happy family." Her smile and perky voice felt so unnatural to her.

Carrie knew that Nat was as stunned shitless as Steve, but their attempts at being supportive were comforting. _Well_ , she thought, _if my baby has the protection of a super-soldier and a master assassin, it can't be too unsafe._

* * *

Author's Note: Just a heads up, in the next few chapters, _Twilight_ fans are going to start seeing quite a few similarities between this and _Breaking Dawn_. But hey, as screenwriter Aaron Sorkin once said, "Good writers borrow from other writers. Great writers steal from them outright." Thank you for reading, everyone, and enjoy!


	19. The Great Escape

The sound of glass breaking woke Steve Rogers out of an uneasy sleep. He dashed out into the hall to find his companion Natasha Romanoff also out of bed and ready to spring into action.

She glanced down at her watch and teased playfully, "You're 2.5 seconds late. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"No time. C'mon let's get to work."

Steve warily headed into the room next to his and found it looking like a war zone. Lamps, pictures on the walls, vases, and other things were smashed and lying shattered in a thousand pieces on the floor. Steve was suddenly very grateful for his shoes as he stepped carefully around the shards. The sounds of furniture slamming against the wall had him slowly approaching the bedroom. He opened the door and prepared himself to dodge out of the way of any flying furniture, but found his path clear. He made a dash for the bed with the little woman lying in it, twisting and contorting in terror and yelping in fear.

"Carrie! Carrie! Wake up; it's only a dream." He shouted and shook Carrie's shoulders.

She bolted up with another scream and Steve was sent flying into the floor and smacked his head against a table leg. He got back up and returned to the bed. "Carrie, it's okay. It's just a dream. Everything's okay," he said more gently this time.

Carrie took a moment to come back to reality, but when she did, she said, "Steve?" and started to look around the room.

"Don't. Don't look. It's alright. This one wasn't so bad." said Steve as he took her in his arms. He let her work on her breathing and calm herself with her face deep in his chest. Only, as Steve looked down and saw red seeping into his shirt. "Carrie, are you okay?"

She let go of him and found shards of glass sticking out of her arm.

"You guys okay?" Natasha's voice called from the hall.

"We're fine, but we need a first aid kit." He turned to Carrie and said, "We should probably get all of this glass out of your room. What was it this time?"

Carrie pulled her legs up in her arms. "It was Zemo again. He was reading the words...and he made Bucky kill our baby."

"Carrie, you know it's not real. Zemo's locked up in prison. Bucky's safe. Your baby's going to be safe. We'll all keep them safe, and we'll find a way to cure Bucky. We will."

Still, Carrie had a hard time not weeping at the flashbacks of Bucky turning into a lifeless machine and taking the baby. "Months and months of progress... all undone by a few words."

Steve gave her a pained but understanding look.

"You know, when we were in our little apartment in Bucharest it wasn't paradise, but we were safe there, together."

At that time, Natasha returned with the first aid kit and knocked on the door. "Can I come in?" she asked soothingly.

"Yeah, come in," answered Carrie, building up her strength again.

"Looks like you've had a rough night," Natasha said upon seeing the wreckage of the room.

"Don't worry. I'll get this all cleaned up. Can you patch her arm up?" asked Steve.

"No problem."

Natasha worked at picking out the glass shards from Carrie's arm and spoke, "You know all this stress isn't good for the baby. We should see about finding ways to help you get a good night's sleep."

"If you have any ideas, I'm open to suggestions."

"We'll think of something. In the meantime, you should get back to bed." She wrapped up Carrie's arm in a bandage and sealed it tight.

"Thank you." She helped Steve finish the rest of the cleaning by levitating the rest of the glass into trash cans and putting the furniture back in place.

"You gonna be alright?" Steve asked before leaving her alone.

"Yeah. I'm fine," she answered, trying to convince herself of it.

She would have no more nightmares that night. Not like the ones where Hydra made Bucky the soldier then and made him kill her, or the ones where they just straight up killed him, or the ones where Steve lost his memories too, or the ones where Hydra took her back and stole her baby. No, these dreams she had next did not terrify her, but still meant to torture her by tricking her into thinking Bucky was with her and they had their healthy baby and she got to see her family again, and then she'd wake up to find it all gone and the bed suddenly very cold and empty alone.

Three weeks since Bucky had gone under. Two weeks since Steve had brought the rest of his fugitive Avengers to stay in Wakanda with them. Eight weeks pregnant.

The other Avengers sometimes took shifts to sleep in rooms near Carrie to monitor her when she had violent nightmares like that. Clint was quite understanding and tried to help as best as he could. Wanda was very good at preventing damage with her power and managing to tame the dreams somewhat with her own telepathic abilities. Even the King himself made time to keep watch once or twice. And as uncomfortable as Sam and Scott sometimes were with it, they got the job done quickly and effectively. All of them at least had the decency to help out when an innocent baby was in the mix and no one really wanted her to accidentally destroy the compound, anyway. At some point or another, Carrie had levitated furniture, broken dozens of windows, made the floor shake, temporarily knocked out the power in parts of the building, projected her nightmares into the minds of other inhabitants, and even woken up on the walls and ceiling. After witnessing these events himself, or hearing stories of them, Scott came to sleeping in his Ant-Man suit on his nights to minimize the risk of being hit by flying objects.

Carrie gradually began to occupy her time studying and catching up on six years of lost education, practicing powers with Wanda and teaching each other tricks, building on her basic archery skills that four years of captivity didn't erase with Clint, doing the recommended exercises for pregnant women, and trying not to cry over Bucky, but her raging hormones made that a challenge.

After hearing of the latest incident and how Carrie had actually gotten hurt this time, T'Challa decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Today you are going to learn how to control your power." King T'Challa sat Carrie down on a bench in a weight room and pulled a large television in front of her.

"Have you not seen me in action?" asked Carrie.

"Your power is very useful, impressive, but you need to keep it under control. The more you practice now, the easier it will be to control in your sleep."

"Alright. Do your worst."

T'Challa messed with the television and threw a knife at Carrie so she wouldn't see it coming. She easily deflected it and almost laughed at his attempts. He then moved on to a heavy weight and flung it at her, but honestly expected her to deflect it effortlessly. He repeated this action over and over again; each time, Carrie defended herself without moving a muscle.

"Alright. You've proven yourself, but now let us see how you fare under different circumstances." T'Challa turned on the television at stepped aside for Carrie to view it.

On the screen came security footage from the Berlin headquarters, specifically security footage of Bucky. Carrie froze as she watched Bucky restrained in a chair with Zemo disguised as a doctor interrogating him, upsetting him. She then saw footage of Bucky taking security guards, raging, but still in need of help.

"Why are you showing me this?" she asked, trying not to clench her teeth. It wasn't until then that she became aware that she was making giant weights fly around the room. T'Challa ducked and avoided getting hit in the head.

He smiled. "You need to learn to control your power even when something is upsetting you. Until you can learn to use your power with precision and accuracy under these stressful situations, I would like to keep working with you."

Carrie took a deep breath. "Okay," she said, even though she knew she'd regret it, and as she watched Bucky getting punched by guards, Agent 13, Natasha, and Iron Man, she did. She struggled to focus her energy into a single place. T'Challa set up hoops for her to aim the weights. Too much stimulation. She couldn't think about Bucky suffering and guide the weights at the same time. At first, she could only hit the hoops with dozens of other object rattling, but after a couple of hours she finally managed to get some shaky weights through the hoops.

"You have done well. Rest your mind for now."

Carrie took it that meant the lesson was over. "Okay, thank you, but we're not doing that again until after the baby comes." There was no way she was putting this much stress on her body while carrying a baby.

T'Challa nodded respectfully and departed.

* * *

In the evening, Steve and Carrie sat at a table eating some kind of soup, the contents of which they did not know. They slurped it down, regardless. They sat at a lonely little table with a dim lamp hanging over their heads. They ate in almost silence until Steve spoke up, "I remember when Bucky and I were kids in school I'd get beat up a lot 'cause I was so small, so one day Bucky faked a fight with me and let me win to make me look stronger and the other kids left me alone after that- at least until they got smart and realized what was going on." Steve smiled as the fond memory took him back ninety years, and to his pleasure he looked and saw Carrie start to smile too.

Steve had done a lot of thinking and worrying since the night before and figured that the only way Carrie was going to be happy was if she was with Bucky, but since that couldn't happen yet, he would have to make her feel as close to him as possible for the time being.

He made a promise that he would take care of Carrie and he would keep that promise. Lucky for them, he had a lifetime of stories about Bucky and all night to tell them. They took breaks now and then, getting ready for bed, but always returned to each other and eventually moved to a sofa. They laughed, smiled with bitter sweetness and while absorbed in one story, Steve felt Carrie's head fall onto his arm. Her slow, steady breathing told him she was asleep and he swept her up and put her to bed; for the first time, he wasn't too worried about nightmares.


	20. The Heart of the Matter

It didn't take Tony Stark long to figure out where Natasha and Steve's whole team were, and even less time to get there. Naturally, Rhodes came with him, and the Vision didn't want to be all alone, so he came too. It just so happens that in the same amount of time, Carrie's pregnancy bump started showing. She tried to conceal it under her shirt, but with no avail. Jesus those maternity pants were awful. She'd have to get used to them. Thankfully, T'Challa ordered plenty of baby supplies at the compound for her. He kept it off the records, though. He didn't anyone getting curious as to why the King was suddenly in need of diapers and pacifiers, or to let potential enemies know of a vulnerable baby they could take for ransom. T'Challa was already becoming a wise king. Not quite as wise as his father, but he had a whole lifetime of experience to build up that wisdom.

* * *

Tony thought he was going to the meeting room to discuss Wakandan technology with T'Challa. T'Challa was there because he thought Steve wanted to discuss the assistance the Avengers could give to the Wakandan government. Steve thought he was there to help Sam test out new enhancements for Redwing. Sam thought he was there to learn some archery from Clint. Clint thought he was there because Wanda wanted him to help her get more practice with her powers. Wanda was there because she had thought that The Vision had called her there. The Vision thought he was there because he thought Natasha had asked for his help fixing up her weapons. Natasha was there because she thought Rhodey had wanted her help with physical therapy. Rhodey was there because he thought Scott wanted to play ping-pong with him. And Scott- well, Scott just happened to wander in there at the same time.

Of course, they were all very confused upon seeing everyone else crowded into that one room. A few of them broke into small arguments, but they all went silent when they heard every door around them slam shut.

"What is she doing here?" asked Tony as Carrie came into view.

She kept her tone even and cool, "I apologize, but there was no other way to get you all together at once." The whole arrangement had taken some meticulous planning and trickery for her to pull it off, but it was worth it. "I understand that there's much tension between all of you, and I know that some of you may hate me... or my husband, but I've only come to clear the air and offer peace."

"I'm sorry, is this the same person who tried to kill us just a few weeks ago?" said Tony with his signature snarky bite.

"Oh, please. If I'd wanted you dead, you'd all be rotting in the ground by now. I even saved your friend," she retorted, then pointed to Rhodey.

"Okay, I'm not following this," Rhodey said, more confused than irritated.

"I slowed down your fall as much as I could. I'm sorry I couldn't do any more, but my power wasn't at full capacity."

Rhodey only nodded pensively, but Tony interjected, "You expect us to trust you now, just like that?"

"I would like to hear what she has to say," The Vision stated calmly.

"Thank you." Carrie expressed her gratitude. "Now I know the Sokovia Accords are a sensitive subject for all of you, and it may not be my place to speak about it, but someone has to say something. You need to let the rest of the world know that you work with them, but not for them. I don't give a damn if you sign your Accords or not, but if you even think about hurting my husband, a seat in Hell will look comfortable compared to what I'll do to you."

Tony cleared his throat. "You're absolutely right about one thing: it _isn't_ your place to talk about something you know nothing about."

Running out of patience, Carrie touched Tony's hand and filled herself in on everything he knew of the Accords and the debate that accompanied it. "There. Now I know everything about it."

"Whoa! Personal space! You see this little bubble here? This is my bubble. You do not cross it," said Tony.

T'Challa spoke up this time, "Mrs. Barnes," -oh, how she loved the sound of that- "with respect, this is not your problem. The Accords only apply to the Avengers. The world does not know of your existence yet. You don't need to worry."

"With respect, Your Highness, I spent four years as a slave for Hydra. I want every member, associate, or ally of Hydra dead. The Avengers stand the best chance of making that happen, but they can't do it if they're busy spilling each other's blood. You guys are more than a team. You're a family and family is very important to me. There are too many real enemies out there for you to make enemies of each other. I just want you all to forgive each other."

"So you want us to play family therapy?" Clint asked, not rudely.

Tony only facepalmed and chuckled in disbelief.

"What's wrong with that, Tony?" asked Sam, blood beginning to boil. "Or are you too wrapped up in your own pride to see another point-of-view?"

Carrie meant to step in and mediate, but Tony cut her off with, "Are you really worried about my pride when we have a girl who has the power to tear down buildings if something doesn't go her way?"

"Is there something wrong with having power?" interjected Wanda as Steve simultaneously defended Carrie, "She won't try to hurt anyone, Tony."

However, Tony was busy trying to apologize to Wanda to notice. Everyone was uncomfortable, hurt and frustrated- all things that made hearing their thoughts unbearable. When people got as passionate over something, their minds became... louder and she couldn't shut them out. They broke into smaller bickering arguments until Carrie couldn't take it anymore.

"You're all gonna sit down and listen to me!" She pushed her hand down, which had the effect of forcing everyone into their seats. She didn't like doing this in such a forceful manner, but she had to make them see the truth one way or another. She connected with all of their minds and projected Bucky's memories into them, starting from the beginning: what a kind person he had always been- an upstanding citizen who always stood up for the little guy, fighting for the country's freedom in the war, being captured and treated like an animal in a prison camp, finally being forced to undergo inhumane experiments, falling from the train to his supposed death, then being captured again minus one arm, waking up in the middle of the operation that sawed off the remaining stub of his arm, waking up again horrified to see a metal hand where flesh hand once been and surrounded by enemies, being shoved into a box and cold ice stinging him until he lost consciousness, and then finally being forced into a chair where he endured more pain than any human should endure and his soul was ripped away from him. And no, that wasn't the end either. His handlers never gave him more care than what was absolutely necessary to keep him productive, and his punishments for not performing to their satisfaction were often unspeakable. Whenever he showed the slightest hint of disobedience or remembering, he was abused or just painfully wiped again.

Carrie released the others and found them all griping their chests in panic. "Now do you understand? Don't judge a person until you've walked a few miles in their shoes."

She'd shaken them up quite a bit and thought that was enough for the day. Without another word, she stepped out, released them, and let them think about everything they had just seen.

* * *

That afternoon, Tony was tuning up Rhodey's leg braces when he needed to vent his frustration to his friend. "You know, just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, then Tin Man went and knocked her up. Jesus. Look at the parents. I can't imagine what the kid's gonna be like."

"Tony, I know you've got a bad history with Barnes, but the girl did save my life."

"So she says. That little acid trip she showed us could've been all fake for all we know. But you've never had your brain messed with."

"From that height, at that speed. Tony, I don't think I would've survived that without her."

"I thought we'd established that it was the suit that saved you."

Rhodes slowly made his hands into fists and kept his cool. "Have you ever even considered the possibility that we might have taken this whole Accords thing the wrong way?"

Tony bent down to look at Rhodey in the eye. "Has that girl been toying with your brain? Rhodes, look at me. If she's making you speak against your will, just fight it. Give me a little wink, something."

Rhodes only shook his head. "I'm not saying it was wrong to sign; I'm just saying that I understand a little better now why Steve was so afraid to sign. You can't tell me that you don't feel just a little empathetic."

Tony clenched his fists, but not in anger- out of frustration. "Rhodes, I saw that monster- that guy- kill my mom and dad. I know it wasn't his fault. I know he didn't have control, but how am I supposed to look at the hands that choked the life out of my mom and pretend that everything's just swell?"

Rhodey put a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder. "I don't know what to tell you, man. But you should keep in mind that she did forgive us after everything we did."

Without another, word, Rhodes left. He knew that Tony knew what the right thing to do was, but he also knew that Tony would be a stubborn and needed a little nudge.

* * *

Late in the evening, when no one was looking for him, Steve wandered over to the hospital wing of the Wakandan compound. Her peered over his shoulder making sure he hadn't been followed, but when he arrived at his destination, he found someone else already there.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were here. I can leave you alone if you want," he apologized to Carrie.

"No it's fine. I don't think I want to be alone right now." She was sitting on the floor with her back against the door to one of the labs. "You should've known I'd be here."

Steve actually had suspected long ago that Carrie would go the lab where Bucky was. "You wanna come downstairs with everybody else? They all seem like they've cooled down. Scott had a few drinks and now he's showing off everything he can do with his Ant-Man suit. It's pretty fun to watch."

"Thanks, but maybe later."

"Okay. I guess I'll stay here with you, then." He tried to keep a positive tone.

"You come and talk to him, don't you?" He didn't need to answer; she knew it was true. "That's okay. I promised I wouldn't see him like this, but that doesn't mean I can't come here outside."

He nodded. "How's the baby?"

"He's getting bigger," she laughed softly.

"It's a boy?"

"Oh, I don't know yet. I don't want to find out without Bucky, but I just feel like he's a boy."

"Tell me something. Are you here because you want to be with Bucky, or because you're afraid someone will hurt him if you leave him alone?"

"Both. I mean, I haven't sensed anyone with bad intentions, but I don't want to take any chances.'

"Me too."

"What do you tell him when you come here?"

"Oh, I told him about the baby. I told him that I think he's going to be a great father. I tell him about you and all the things you've been doing. Would you know if he could hear anything?"

Carrie shook her head. "No, I don't think so. I'm not getting anything from him. It's like he's dead." She choked out that last sentence a bit.

"Hey, it's okay. He'll be okay. We can wake him up before the baby comes. We can find a way to get rid of his programming. Maybe you can use your power to help him."

"I can't I've already done so many other things in his mind. It's too fragile for me to work with. I asked Wanda if she could do anything and she wanted to, but she said she was afraid to do anything, too. She said she didn't know everything she could do with her power and she might accidentally make it worse. I even asked Vision, and he said he doesn't know enough about the Mind Gem for him to do anything. He was afraid he would make things worse, like Wanda."

"Wakanda has some of the best technology in the world. I'm sure somebody can find a way to help him."

Carrie and Steve would share many more nights like this. Sometimes he would carry her to bed from there. Other times, they would have fun thinking of baby names. He felt the baby kick. Still, there were some days when Carrie went into fits of sobbing or bursts of anger, shouting about how much she hated Hydra for doing this to her and Bucky. Whatever happened, Steve was there for her and Carrie would thank him for it later.

"Mom, Dad, there's no light way to put this, so I'm just going to say it outright: you're going to be grandparents.. The father doesn't know yet because he's asleep, and he won't wake up until somebody presses a button. Dad, please don't kill him; you'd only hurt yourself. And he's a real good guy. He's a veteran. I don't know how he'll take the news, but I know he'll do his best. I hope we can be as good of parents to our baby as you were to me. Thank you."

* * *

Author's Note: I'm sorry to the Tony fans for making him seem like a jerk. I just thought he'd still be pretty mad about his parents, which I understand. Don't worry. He'll come around. :)


	21. Time In A Bottle

Carrie's eyes fluttered open early one morning. The sun was just poking its head over the horizon and Carrie told herself she should go back to sleep since there was nothing to do for at least a few hours, but she just couldn't. This morning was too special to lie down or sit still or do anything but pace rapidly or jump up and down (okay, she couldn't actually jump much with her now huge baby bump). Although she had planned for this day for months, she went over her plans a few more times to make sure she had everything down perfectly, assuring herself that every action she would take was the best. By the time she stepped out of her room, she found Steve doing the same wild pacing and they made their way down to the hospital wing.

Steve opened the door to the lab at let Carrie in.

She gasped and cupped her hands over her mouth when she saw the scene inside.

Bucky was strapped in a capsule, inhumanly still, a thin layer of frost covering him and the inside of the glass that held him. Carrie felt her eyes rim up with tears. She knew she shouldn't be crying- she had to put up a happy face for him and he was about to wake up for God's sake- but still, the sight of him like that, plus the hormones, made her unexpectedly emotional.

"It's okay, baby. Daddy's just sleeping," she said to the womb.

"You okay?" asked Steve.

She shook off the tears and said, "Yeah, Fine."

The doctors began the process of tampering with buttons and calling out numbers to each other. The room was filled with beeping noises, but Carrie drowned them all out. She walked to him and put her hand on the glass. _They couldn't even put him in a resting position?_ she thought to herself, but oh well, they've kept him alive this whole time so she got over it. He looked peaceful, like sleeping after a long day. The cuts and bruises from his last fight looked fresh as if he'd just gotten them yesterday.

A young doctor smiled anxiously but politely as she said to Carrie, "He may be a bit confused and tired when he wakes up, so try not to excite him too much."

"Oh I won't. Thank you."

Carrie's heart tried to pound out of her chest as the ice and glass slowly receded. Carrie levitated herself off the ground a bit so she could reach his face and unhook the strap over his chest. Like a fairy tale ending, his eyes slid halfway open just as she placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Hi, sweetheart." She took his hand, which felt chilled to touch.

"Do you feel okay?" she asked.

"I do now," he answered, and his voice sounded sweet as honey to her ears.

Now to make sure he didn't freak out just coming out of the ice, she placed her hands on his cheeks to keep him from looking down and seeing her bulging abdomen. "There's something I want to tell you: Bucky, we're having a baby."

Instantly, his eyes flashed all the way open and he jumped down from the chamber, despite everyone advising him not to. His mouth gaped at the sight of her bulging abdomen, then a flash of pain rushed to his head and he grimaced.

"Sweetie, are you alright? Come here and sit down," said Carrie as Steve placed a white blanket around Bucky's shoulders.

"Buck, you okay?" asked Steve.

Bucky eyed his friend and relaxed a bit. "Yeah. How long was I under this time?"

"About seven months," answered Steve.

"When are you due?" he asked Carrie.

"Three weeks."

"Carrie, I need to talk to you," was all he said before pulling her out of the lab so they could be alone.

"How can you be pregnant?" He paced back and forth like a speedy twister.

"Well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other..." she began sarcastically.

"But I thought we were careful."

"Not careful enough, apparently."

"What are we going to do?" he asked, frustration masking his fear.

"Sweetie, you're not supposed to get this worked up so soon after coming out of the ice," said Carrie, holding his shoulder in concern.

"We passed 'worked up' a long time ago."

"Baby, why are you mad?"

He mentally kicked himself for hurting Carrie and sighed. "I'm not mad; I'm just... How are we going to be parents?"

She rubbed his arm from behind him softly. "We'll do our best. The King promised to help us, and we have Steve and Natasha. The whole team's been a big help with you were out."

"Carrie honey, I'm sorry. I never would've gone under if I knew you were pregnant."

"It's okay." And they shared their first kiss in seven months, followed by another one, and another. When they tore apart, Carrie said, "You know we have to think of a name."

"Boy or girl?"

"I don't know. I was waiting for you, but I was thinking a lot about our wedding night- our song."

"It's our little Danny?" he asked, looking down.

"I think so. Let's go find out."

* * *

Their Danny turned out to be a Danielle. Carrie sat back reclined as a doctor pulled up the image from a 3-D ultrasound. Wakandans didn't settle for typical medical tech; they gave only the best for their expecting mothers. A little yellow hologram baby floated midair and for the first time, Bucky felt himself tearing up at the thought of his baby. His fingers lightly brushed the hologram. It flickered and Bucky's lips curled up in a euphoric smile.

"Our little girl," he whispered, and he planted a powerful kiss on Carrie's lips, then over the baby. "I love you," he said to both of them.

They felt the baby kick and doctor even let them listen to the baby's heartbeat, and when they were done, Carrie had one more surprise for Bucky.

"Bucky, I want to show you something. Give me your hand." She held his hand with one of hers, and the other rested over the bump.

They shared a vision as Carrie telepathically connected to the mind of their baby. It wasn't like reading regular minds- there were no words formed or much sensory input, but they could hear from the baby's ears the sound of Carrie's heartbeat. Then the sound suddenly died out and the simple thoughts became muddled.

"She's sleeping," Carrie said. Both of them had watery eyes by this point.

"I feel like the baby's already here," said Bucky.

Carrie reached for his cheek. "Soon."

Carrie couldn't have been happier when Bucky was there with her in bed. She had forgotten how warm he was and how comfortable it was with their arms around each other. He would have preferred to be able to hold her with both arms, but you can't have everything. He was a little surprised when she got up four times to go to the bathroom, though.

Carrie slept better than she had in seven months that night, and while she couldn't remember any of the dreams she had, she knew they'd been good ones. The next morning, Bucky insisted upon making her a hearty breakfast of anything she wanted, even when what she wanted turned out to be cream of wheat topped with pickle slices.

"Oh my God. Thank you. I've been deprived of so many of my craving foods for so long. Wakanda isn't exactly abundant in peanut butter cookie dough chocolate blast ice cream."

After breakfast, Bucky led her into a room in the compound that she found to be darkened with all the lights off. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion until the lights came on and Steve and Natasha jumped in front of them. The single word, "Surprise!" filled the room.

Steve and Natasha threw handfuls of confetti and Carrie read a banner hanging on the wall that had the words, "IT'S A GIRL" spelled out in pink paint.

A beaming Steve Rogers came up to her and said, "As soon as we planned the date to wake up Bucky, we wanted to surprise you. Everybody helped out."

Around the room stood Wanda, Clint, Scott, and even Sam. The others had gone back to the States (but Tony had just come back the day before).

"T'Challa wanted to be here, but he has his King stuff to do," said Nat as she tried to lead Carrie to a seat on a sofa, but Carrie froze on the spot.

"You guys," she peeped with joyful tears threatening to spill down her face. "You didn't have to do this."

"Of course we did," said Steve, "That's what family does."

They got on with cake and gifts (for Carrie, A LOT of whatever kind of cake that was). Steve got them started. He handed Carrie a red box and she pulled out a baby mobile with red, white, and blue stars hanging down from it.

"Aw, Steve. I love it. Thank you."

Next, Wanda handed up a bracelet with three charms on it: a red star, a white crown, and a silver heart. "It's a family charm bracelet we have in Sokovia. As long as you have it, you will always be together."

"Wanda, it's beautiful. Thank you."

Sam was surprisingly eager to give his gift. It was a soft feather pillow. "And that's made with feathers from birds right here in Wakanda," he said proudly.

"That's so thoughtful, Sam. Thank you."

Clint then handed them a necklace with an arrowhead strung on it. "That's from one of my arrows. It'll be a choking hazard until she's older, but I dulled it down so it won't hurt her. My wife and kids have ones just like them. It's sort of a symbol of protection in my family. I thought you guys would appreciate it."

"We do, Clint. That's very sweet of you. Thank you. And thank your family for me."

Scott gave them the weirdest-looking stuffed animal, but he did it with love and it was the baby's first toy. She'd love any soft, squishy object she could play with.

Last, Natasha gave them a little knife set. "Don't worry. They're plastic to start out with, but just as sharp. She'll need to protect herself someday."

A regular family might have been offended by the gift, but Carrie and Bucky knew all too well that the baby may need weapons when she gets older. Bucky hoped the baby wouldn't mind if he borrowed them for the time being. "Right, Nat. Thank you."

"So do you have a name picked out yet?" asked Natasha.

"Danielle Winifred Barnes," answered Bucky, "I love how that sounds."

Carrie went onto explain how the name kept on the tradition with her, being named after a song, and how they got the name Winifred from Bucky' mother when an unexpected visitor dropped by.

"I'm sorry I cannot stay longer. I have much business to attend to, but I came by to present my gift," said King T'Challa. He handed Carrie a folded-up baby blanket. "It is a traditional Wakandan blanket. It means as long as it is in your possession, your child will always be protected."

Carrie examined the blanket that was very warm and soft for how thin it was. It was covered in what looked like warrior figures made to vaguely resemble the Avengers, even the ones that Carrie had never met like Thor, Dr. Banner, and Wanda's deceased brother Pietro.

"Your Highness, I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"Please, call me T'Challa, and you are very welcome. I wish you a healthy child and every happiness." With that, he bowed and departed.

Out of the corner of her eye, Carrie could see one of her guests conversing with someone else. That tailored suit and tinted glasses could only belong to one person.

"You guys threw a party without inviting me? And I thought I could trust you." said Tony Stark.

Carrie tensed up and Bucky put his arm protectively in front of her.

"I just wanted to swing by and give something for the little tyke. Call it a peace offering."

The gift was wrapped only in a little bow; it was a red and gold music box that looked like it was made for royalty. "My God. You must've spent a fortune on this. Thank you."

"Actually, I didn't spend a dime on it. It was my mom's. I never listen to it. I figured it'd be better with somebody who could actually get some use out of it."

"Tony, you have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Just make sure you play it for your kid. Oh, hey Tin Man. I want to talk to you."

Carrie busied herself with trying on Wanda's bracelet for everyone while Tony pulled Bucky aside to talk. When the party was all over and the others had all gone back on their own, Carrie asked Bucky, "What did Tony say to you?"

"He said he would fix my arm and that he's giving Steve his shield back."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He's wanted to do some kind of operation tomorrow. I wasn't about to pass it up. I'd kind of like to be able to tie my shoes."

"That's great. Don't worry. I'll check his mind and make sure he's not hiding anything from us. He seemed sincere today."

"I know. What changed?"

"Oh, I might have worked a little of my magic."

Bucky grinned and pulled Carrie close to him. "I love you."


	22. Just Like Fire

At night after the baby shower, Bucky brought attention to something that had worried since soon after he'd come out of the ice. He hadn't wanted to spoil the baby shower by bringing it up earlier. As they set up Steve's mobile over the crib in their bedroom, Bucky grabbed her by the arm and ran his fingers over the little bits of pale, raised flesh on the arm.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

Carrie played it off with a weak laugh, "Oh, that? I tripped while going on a walk outside and hit my arm against the gravel. It's fine now."

In two years, Bucky had more or less learned the face Carrie always made when trying to hide something from him, even if she meant well. "Carrie, you can't trip. Your powers would keep you from hitting the ground."

"Well I guess this baby's been messing with my powers."

" _Carrie._ "

She sighed in frustration. "Okay. It was just a little nightmare. I accidentally shattered a picture on the wall and some of the glass got in my arm, but Steve got there right away and Natasha patched me up. End of story. It was fine."

"Why were you having nightmares? You've never had them before."

"It's just this place. It used to give me the creeps. All the jungle bugs and stuff."

"Carrie, if you don't tell me what's going on, you know I can just find out somewhere else."

"It's nothing, okay? It's all over now. Everything's fine. There's no point in worrying about it now." She tried hugging him to direct his attention somewhere else, and it worked, but Bucky still went to talk to Steve about it later:

"I thought you'd be asking about that sometime," said Steve.

"What happened to her while I was under?"

"She took it kind of hard at first, but once she found things to occupy her time, things she really wanted to do, she started getting better. She even helped bring the Avengers back together. Things still aren't perfect now, but she sat as all down and _made_ us all talk to each other, work it out. I realize now that, all along, she was right."

Bucky sighed. "I love her."

"I'm happy for you."

"You know, you've gotta tell that blonde how you feel about her."

"I will as soon as this whole fugitive thing blows over."

"I mean it. You'll regret it if you don't."

"Believe me. I know."

Bucky returned to Carrie with a heart of lead. Guilt stung at him like venom and ate him up inside. As soon as he saw his wife, he wrapped her up in a loving embrace and said, "Why didn't you tell me how bad it was while I was under? I never would've done it if I'd known how much it would hurt you."

"Because of that. I thought you needed it, and I didn't want to stop you. But it's okay. You're here now. I could handle it. Don't worry."

He rested his forehead over hers. "Don't ever think for one second that I would rather be sitting on ice somewhere than spend time with you. I have everything to live for, and I don't want to miss a minute of it."

"I'm not mad if that's what you think."

"I'd understand if you were. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, just don't do it again."

"I won't."

* * *

"Okay. Let's take a look," said Tony Stark. He removed the black cover the place where Bucky's metal arm cut off. Bucky sat on an operating table the following day in the Wakandan hospital wing. Tony whistled upon seeing the shredded metal. "Well, now at least I know what my suit is capable of."

Tony tapped a screwdriver against the metal with a _clink_ and set a long black box on the counter beside them. He lifted the lid to expose a silvery limb. "It looks the same, but I made some adjustments to it. Should be lighter, stronger, faster, more flexible, durable. I've never seen anything quite like this. I couldn't help but play around with it a little."

"Thanks." Bucky shifted uncomfortably as he forced out the words, "Sorry for trying to rip your chest out and... everything." Carrie had told him he needed to apologize no matter how difficult it was, and he knew she was right. It may not actually help anything, but they needed to show that they were making efforts to get along- for each other and for the baby, who couldn't be raised in an Armageddon of the Avengers.

"Don't. Don't say anything, or I might change my mind. But, apology accepted. Now lay back." Tony shoved Bucky down onto the table, but not as aggressively as he could have, and got to work re-attaching Bucky's arm. (Unbeknownst to Tony, Carrie stood dutifully outside the operating room in case he tried anything.) The procedure didn't take long with Tony's genius. How he was able to link together such intricate wiring and make Bucky able to control it was a mystery.

When he finished, he asked, "How does it feel?"

Bucky flexed his arm and twisted it, practiced picking up different objects.

"It may take some getting used to-"

Bucky cut off Tony by saying, "It feels perfect. Thanks."

"Don't thank me. You're going to need both hands with a kid on the way."

"Yeah," and Bucky took off without another word, not wanting to push his luck.

Steve helped him test out the new-and-improved arm. It was a sight to see- kicking off the walls, throwing each other to the ground, hands moving faster than the human eye could perceive. Bucky had Steve pinned down and chuckled between quick breaths, "You've gotten soft. What've you been doing for seven months?"

Bucky didn't see Steve's feet going after him. "Learning how to kick your ass." Steve escaped from Bucky's grip.

"I thought you didn't like that kind of language," Bucky teased before throwing a punch.

"You're never gonna stop with that, are you?" Steve shook his head and kicked Bucky to the floor mat.

"Nope." Bucky quickly got back up on his feet. He felt on top of the world being at full capacity. Without the metal arm he'd felt so naked and exposed. In case of trouble, his most valuable asset was lost, but now he felt he could take on an army single-handedly (no pun intended). The arm had all the improvements that Stark had said it would. He found that he could block punches easier, move it around with more agility, and a blow from the arm did more damage than before. Stark was a miracle-worker.

Their session ended and they called it a draw. After showering, Steve and Bucky got to talking.

"It seems like yesterday you and me were kids going to baseball games and trying win over girls with candy bars and now you're gonna be a dad," said Steve.

"Well you're _still_ a punk."

"Are you ready?"

"I think so. I kind of have to be. Thank God it's still three weeks away, though."

As soon as those words came out, Steve and Bucky received what sounded like Carrie's voice in their heads. "Somebody help me, please. I'm in my room. Please help me. Please."

The connection ended and with one look at each other, Bucky and Steve bolted out the door, on their way to Carrie.

When they got there, they found her on the floor, but she wasn't alone. Natasha was next to her with her arm around Carrie's shoulders.

"Glad you guys could finally make it," Natasha said with a smirk.

"Hi, honey. I'm fine," said Carrie, trying to stand up.

"She just had a contraction and got scared," Natasha explained, totally calm.

"Contraction?" Steve asked.

Bucky was instantly at Carrie's other side. "I thought you said three weeks."

"I guess she changed her mind."

They got Carrie down to the hospital wing where she was hooked up to a heart monitor and had another ultrasound.

"What's happening? The baby's not due for three weeks. Is something wrong?" she asked.

"These things can happen," said one kind nurse, "I'm sure you and your child will be fine. We only need to see the doctor to be sure."

"Where is the doctor?"

"Boy, King T'Challa wasn't kidding when he said this was a special case," said the Doctor as he stepped in.

The room fell silent at sight of the doctor, Dr.-

"Banner!" said Steve.

"Hi, guys," Bruce said uncomfortably, "Sorry I didn't call."

"'Sorry' doesn't begin to cover it," said Steve, clenching his fist.

"Look, I know staying away was a dick move, but trust me, things would've been much worse with me there."

Then, Natasha stepped up, voice cracking, she said, "You think we give a damn about politics now? You couldn't have left us some kind of note to let us know you were alive? Nothing to tell us you were okay?" Fearlessly, she slapped him across the face, then pulled him into a tight embrace, which made him jump in surprise a little, but he reciprocated the hug.

"Uh, guys, sorry to interrupt, but I could use some help over here," said Carrie just before another wave of contractions came and she grimaced in pain.

"Oh, sorry, ma'am." Dr. Banner rushed over to tend to Carrie. "Hello, my name is Bruce Banner. I know I'm not the same doctor that you've had these past few months, but His Highness asked for me to take care of you, and I will," he said comfortingly after the pain had passed.

Carrie nodded. She knew who he was: one of the most brilliant minds of his time, a genius, as long as he didn't turn green (and she had confidence that he wouldn't), she knew she was in good hands.

* * *

This is a mid-chapter Author's Note. Disclaimer: I have no experience in the medical field and no personal experience with childbirth. This chapter is based on research and guesswork on my part. Do not cite this story for any medical information. Also, there are some slightly graphic details towards the end, so feel free to skip over those parts if they make you feel uncomfortable. Enjoy and thank you for reading!

* * *

The baby was determined to come that day, and Dr. Banner assured Carrie and Bucky that the baby would be fine even though it was a little early as long as there were no other complications. That still didn't ease the pain, though. Dr. Banner was hesitant to use pain medications in this "special case" and both Carrie and Bucky had already agreed to try it without medication at first. Carrie did her best trying the breathing and relaxation techniques but, during contractions, Carrie would shout every swear word she knew and grip Bucky's hand tight. It's lucky Tony hand fixed his arm because if it hadn't been metal she was squeezing, she might've broken his bones.

"Ah! Get this baby out of me! We are never having more kids!" she shouted during one. She accidentally broke a nearby lamp with her mind in the process.

Five minutes later when she was woozy from the pain, she rambled to Bucky, "I love being pregnant. As soon as this baby comes, we should have another one."

Steve and Nat (who popped in now and then to see if the couple needed any help) couldn't tell who to pity more- Carrie for being in so much pain, or Bucky having to powerlessly watch her suffer. Okay, nevermind. Carrie obviously won that contest.

"Steve, Natasha, could you stay here for a minute? We want to talk to you," said Carrie once she'd temporarily recovered.

The two obliged.

"Maybe this isn't the best time to ask, but we didn't know the baby was coming this early, so here it goes: Would you two be our daughter's guardians in the event that something happens to us?"

After a moment to let it sink in, Steve readily answered, "Of course. Anything you need."

Natasha, however, had an unreadable expression on her face. Was it shock? Was it joy? Was it fear? The most likely answer to those questions was: yes.

"Yes. I will." She played off her feelings with a laugh, "God, first Clint, now you guys. I'm gonna have kids all over the world calling me 'Auntie Nat,'"

The four of them chuckled for a moment until another gut-splitting contraction came and left Carrie in tears. She grabbed Bucky's hand and looked up at him with the most heartbreaking eyes and said, "I wish my mom was here."

Bucky hated that he couldn't make everything better for his Carrie. Other than giving occasional massages and encouraging words, he was utterly useless. He couldn't take her pain away. He couldn't even give her family to her. So he did all he could do- he rubbed her back and said sympathetically, "I know. I know. It's gonna be alright."

Carrie looked down at her rounded abdomen and said, "She's scared. She doesn't know what's going on."

Bucky bent over and put his face right up to the curve of the baby and softly petted his fingers over it. "It's okay, baby. It's okay. Mommy and Daddy are right here. We'll never let anything bad happen to you. We're right here. Hi, baby. I'm your Daddy. You're my little girl, Danny. Danielle Winifred Barnes. That's your name. That's what we're going to call you when you come out. That's what's happening right now. You're coming into the world. The world can be a scary place, but don't you worry. Mommy and Daddy will keep all the scary things away from you. That's a promise. And Uncle Steve and Aunt Natasha will be here too. Don't be scared. We'll all take care of you because we love you."

Now tears of joy twinkled in Carrie's eyes as she kissed her husband over the head and placed her hands over his. Even Steve and Natasha couldn't help but sigh at the precious family moment and felt honored to be a part of it.

"I could try to reach out to her through her head, but I'm afraid I'd mess up her mind. She's so little. It's not like when I'd read to her; she already knows sounds, but her mind's already so sensitive. I don't want to risk it."

"I guess we'll just keep talking to her, then," Bucky said reassuringly.

* * *

When the King T'Challa heard that Carrie's baby was coming, he seized his first free moment to personally see that she was receiving the best care. He found her exhausted and weary, but still holding out strong for the baby. Only when another wave of pain hit her did he become concerned. She accidentally knocked back the nearest nurse and he gracefully caught her before she hit the ground.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Carrie apologized when the wave passed.

"Why don't we see to getting you something for the pain?" he told Carrie, then eyed the nurses and doctor in a commanding stance.

Bruce spoke up, "I'm not sure if that's a good idea. An epidural could lower her blood pressure, and it's already getting on the low side."

"Then find another way. I don't want anyone getting hurt in this hospital- not her, not anyone around her, not the child. We must do something to keep this under control."

"It's okay, Your Highness. I can take it. I'll work on controlling myself," Carrie said, although unsure of whether or not she could actually manage that.

"No, honey. You're already going through so much. Just focus on having the baby and keeping your strength up," argued Bucky, concern for his family at heart.

While Bruce debated with T'Challa, "I'm not an anesthesiologist. I can deliver a baby, but I won't put her and the baby at risk because of my lack of expertise."

"We have some of the best medicines and greatest doctors in the world in Wakanda. Everything you and the patients need will be provided," T'Challa explained.

And Carrie debated with Bucky, "It's okay. I can tough it out for our baby. It won't be fun, but I've already come this far."

But the contractions were coming closer and closer together. One crept up on her, and it was a doozy. She pounded her fist on the bed and the heart monitor went spinning until it burst and sparked. "Sorry."

Dr. Banner froze and said, "Okay, I maybe I can give her some Demerol or something. I don't need to be an anesthesiologist for that." And he rushed away while the nurses rushed to hook Carrie up to a new heart monitor. When the doctor returned, he gave Carrie minimal medication, concerned about putting the baby at risk. Within minutes of administration, Carrie's eyelids drooped and she rested her head back on the pillow. She sighed in relief and said, "Thank you to no one in particular."Bucky pulled up the blanket all the way up to her shoulders and shushed her calmingly. When contractions came after that, she merely grimaced slightly, but returned to a restful state when they ended.

Some time later, the painkillers were wearing off and Dr. Banner informed the couple that the baby was coming soon, but the near-constant agony had already informed that to Carrie. Every time, Carrie begged that it would be the last. Tears spilled out of her eyes and said with a labored breath, "Bucky, I don't know if I can do this."

"Yes you can! I know you can."

"Oh, God!"

"Get ready to push," said Dr. Banner.

Carrie wailed and gripped Bucky's hand and soon the room was filled with infant cries. The mess of fluids all over couldn't tarnish the beauty of the moment. Not even the medical equipment that Carrie broke could stand in the way of Bucky holding his baby. Metal and warm skin curled around the bundle and he couldn't tear his eyes away from the little girl. Carrie let out something between a laugh and a cry and reached out to her. Her arms trembled from weariness, but when the baby was placed in her arms, she felt stronger that ever. The family came together perfectly and they couldn't stop holding each other. After a few moments, Dr. Banner swept up the baby to examine her and make sure she was alright, but the parents had the feeling that she was amazing.


	23. Your Song

Author's Note: So as of now, we're getting into the future I guess. This is interesting. Fun fact: When I did the math to estimate when the baby would be born, it ended up being right on Christmas, but I wanted to play around with the story, so this is what happened. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Dannielle Winifred Barnes

Female

8 lbs. 11 oz.

22 in.

Eyes: Blue Hair: Brown

1:17 am

December 16, 2016

* * *

Bucky couldn't have been happier. With his wife sleeping in the hospital bed next to him and his daughter snoozing in his arms, he felt finally at peace. He'd had many doubts before in his abilities as a father, but when his little girl slowly nuzzled in closer to his chest, went to him for comfort, and rested her head on him to sleep, he knew he had this whole parenting thing covered. Not perfect, of course; he had much to learn still, but he and Carrie would work it out. The only part he didn't like was having to wake up Carrie to nurse the baby.

Danny had woken up crying, which woke up her mother too.

"She's hungry," said Carrie.

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm her mother... and I can read her mind. Come here, baby."

The child drank rapidly with the strength of a baby much older than herself.

"Slow down, honey, You're gonna drink me dry and make yourself sick."

Only, the baby didn't get sick. She fed until she couldn't feed any more, and Bucky burped her for the first time. With Carrie's little experience with babies of family friends, she expected Bucky to be covered in white baby sick, but Danny simply burped and cuddled in right with Daddy again and went back to sleep. Strange, but she wasn't about to complain.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep for a week," she said, as she was still very worn-out.

T'Challa came to visit in the later hours of the morning. "How is our new mother?" asked the King.

"Tired, but she'll be fine."

"Of course she will." He peeked at the little bundle in Bucky's arms. "The child looks strong, like her mother."

"She is. She's perfect." Bucky sighed as he looked down at the little girl trying to reach his locks of hair with her stubby, curled-up fingers. God, how did he create something so adorable? Bucky couldn't figure that out, but was grateful for her all the same.

"Is there anything I can do to make your family more comfortable?" T'Challa asked like a good gentleman.

Bucky'd had some time to think to himself while his two girls rested. Watching Carrie struggle in labor had given him an idea, of something that could ease her pain. "Your Highness, you've already done so much for me and my family. I can't thank you enough, but there's one last thing I need to ask of you."

"Ask away."

"There's some people I need you to find."

The family had many visitors in the days following Danny's birth, many people who came to wish the couple well or offer assistance to the new parents. Although she had no children of her own, Wanda had cared for children around her old community from time to time and seemed to have a natural aptitude for childcare. As a father of three, Clint was an invaluable source of help and advice. Even Scott, a father to his own little girl although he couldn't see her as much as he liked, couldn't resist the adoration of the charming infant girl. Though, Bucky and Carrie could see in the latter two that while they were happy about the baby, she also served as a reminder of the families they had to leave behind. Clint and Scott had been able to communicate with their families through a Skype-like program that T'Challa had set up, but the more times they used it, the more worried they became that an organization like Hydra might hack into it and discover information about their families that they fought so hard to protect. And seeing your loved one through a screen can only suffice for so long. Carrie made a mental note to try and find a way to make things easier for them when she was feeling better.

Steve, Natasha, and occasionally Sam helped out to relieve the parents when they needed it. Carrie needed help with bathing and other things, so their they were very grateful that their friends could take the baby now and then. And though some made pitiful attempts to hide it, many of their friends looked forward to taking the baby. Nat had been with Clint's kids since they were infants too, so she was no stranger to diaper changes. Steve was clueless about how to raise a baby, but did his best and stood proud with the baby like she was his own.

On the day she was born, even Tony stopped by to take a look at the child. Although the parents had been wary at his presence at first, Carrie sensed in his mind that he meant no harm and was genuinely trying to extend an olive branch.

"I guess she's kinda cute," he said nonchalantly. This was a breakthrough for Tony, considering the emotional turbulence he went through when he reunited with Bruce. Not to mention the fact that it was the anniversary of his parents' death.

The mere fact that Tony could look at Bucky without trying to strangle him was good progress.

"I'm heading back to the States today. Thought I'd pop in before I go. Keep Steve out of trouble, will you?" And that was all he said before leaving. That was okay.

* * *

"I have a theory about the baby," said Bruce as he did a check up on mother and week-old child. "She's half Super-Soldier, right? I think she physically takes after you a lot," he said to Bucky. "That could explain why she's a bit big for being born coming almost three weeks early. In fact, I think that's _why_ she came early. She may be developing faster than a typical human baby. I mean, look at her- she's following you with her eyes, reaching for things. She seems to recognize your faces. Can she even smile? That shouldn't happen for a couple more months."

"So what does this mean?" asked Carrie.

"Well, as far as I know, it just means she'll grow a little faster than the average kid, maybe be a bit bigger and stronger too. That must be why she's been feeding so much- she needs more nutrients to fuel her growth."

"What do we need to do?" asked Bucky.

"Just make sure she gets fed enough and let her get lots of sleep. Other than that, it shouldn't be much different that raising any other baby."

"And how fast will she be growing?"

"Well it's a little early to tell now, but I'd estimate she'll be walking by 6 months."

"Does this mean she'll always age this quickly?" Carrie looked at her baby with concern. If she ages faster, does that mean she'll live a shorter life?

"I doubt it. Looking at her father... You don't have accelerated aging, do you?"

"I don't think so, but I'm not sure if I've ever been out of the ice long enough to tell."

Those words caught Carrie off guard. She'd known that Hydra kept Bucky in cryogenic sleep between missions, but it had never really dawned on her that Bucky hadn't even been out of that sleep for more than two years since the 1940's. How did he even have a chance to live? WTF. Someone (probably _lots_ of someones) is going to die for doing that to him. She held his hand a little tighter.

"What I predict is that she'll grow at this accelerated rate until she reaches maturity, then her aging slow to a normal rate. As for superhuman abilities, I think she'll have some of her father's strength. Has she shown any signs of having your abilities, Carrie?"

"My powers didn't develop until I was 14, so I guess if she has them too, they won't show until she's that age, or the developmental equivalent."

"I see. You're probably right."

Although these new revelations brought up some possible concerns for the future, Carrie and Bucky couldn't be happier with their daughter. She was easier than any other baby Carrie had seen. Of course she cried and required a lot of care, but with Carrie's gifts, she could always look into Danny's head and find out what she needed. She didn't have to spend time and energy trying to figure out what her child needed. Instead, she could just tell from Danny's vague, simple, wordless thoughts what was bothering her. The discomfort in her stomach from hunger, the wet feeling from needing to be changed, when she's tired, if the lights are too bright. Carrie and Bucky felt incredibly lucky to be able to connect with their daughter in such away and to be able to provide everything she needed. Bucky also felt an increased sense of admiration for his wife with her abilities.

These abilities would be put to even more good use when December 25 came along. The Avengers in the Wakandan compound weren't much of the Christmas-y type, but still they held a small celebration and exchanged little trinkets. However, the greatest gift of all came in the most unexpected form.

"Mrs. Barnes," T'Challa said, "I have good news for you. We have a promising lead on your family."

Carrie froze on the spot and could hardly speak, "What?"

Bucky wrapped his arm around her waist with a smile, "I told him about your family and he promised to look for them."

"We aren't sure yet, but if my sources are correct, they're currently in Anderson, Indiana."

Carrie covered her mouth with her hand and looked from the King to her husband, then swooped in and held him as tight as she could. "Thank you!" she shouted as she then startled T'Challa with a hug.

"We will keep you updated on any new developments. Good luck, Mrs. Barnes," and with a genuine smile, he took off.

Carrie's bliss radiated across the room. The others smiled for her, but she could sense some sadness from a couple members of the group. "Clint, Scott, I'm sorry you can't be with your families on Christmas, but maybe I can help."

Curiously, they inquired about her offer.

"If you tell me where your families are, and show me what they look like, I might be able to connect you to them. It would be like looking at a hologram of them right here, and you could talk to each other."

The two obviously jumped at the chance. She started with Clint- the more minds, the better the chances of finding them. "Now give me your hand," she said, and focused on locating the four other Bartons so far away. "I've never done this from such a long distance, so this could take a while."

Carrie closed her eyes and focused. "Just say whatever you want to say to them."

After about ten minutes of Clint repeating, "Laura, Laura, it's me, Clint. Laura," they finally had a breakthrough.

"Clint!"

"Laura, it's me. Get the kids. I want to talk to you."

"Clint, what's going on?"

"Sorry, it's complicated. I have a friend who's helping me speak to you. You'll be able to see me like I'm really there. Get the kids so I can see all of you."

"Okay. Kids! Come down here!"

Then, the image of Laura Barton and her children came into view in an illusion. It was like his family was really there. He could touch them, hear each word they said as they came out. None of it was real, but it was as close as they could get. At the other end, the family saw the image of him, too. She let them talk as long as they needed. The children showed him their Christmas gifts and they held onto each other with love. When it came time to say goodbye, his daughter begged him not to go, but he assured her that he would be back soon.

The onlookers were quite moved by this little display of family bonds and Scott eagerly anticipated his turn.

"Hi, Peanut!" he said to his little girl.

She was excited to see her Daddy, but this exercise of power was wearing Carrie down. Still in recovery, her power wasn't at it's full capacity and she was easily weakened. Scott noticed her fatigue after several minutes with his daughter and said, "Okay, Peanut, Daddy's gotta go. See you soon, okay?"

"Bye, Daddy!" she said.

The connection fell apart instantly and Bucky caught Carrie in his arms as she lost her balance.

"You're not doing that again for another 5 weeks," said Bucky as he laid her down on a couch.

With a weak breath but bright smile, she replied, "I don't care. I could be home in 5 weeks. I'm not going to spend another Christmas without my family."

Bucky kissed her hand and took Danny in his arms, "Look, your family's right here. Not all of it, but remember: you're never alone."


	24. Patience

King T'Challa's "sources" confirmed the location of Carrie's family within the next 36 hours, but Carrie still had another month of recovery to go before she could travel. In that time, Danny had hit many more milestones. She could sit up on her own, hold her own bottle with little assistance, she even made her first (unsuccessful) attempts and crawling and had her first tooth coming in. When she met her grandparents, they decided, they would say she was six months old.

Danny wept and wailed on the plane ride to America. "What's wrong?" Bucky asked.

"She's just tired. Maybe we can get her to sleep until we reach the ground." Carrie leaned over the baby's seat next to hers and broke into song like she usually did to get her baby to sleep.

" _This is Major Tom to Ground Control. I'm stepping through the door and I'm floating in the most peculiar way, and the stars look very different today... Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles, I'm feeling very still._ "

Danny was comatose by the end of the song. "My mom used to sing that song when my brother and I were little. While other parents were singing nursery rhymes to their kids, ours were singing all the rock classics. For my first grade talent show, I wanted to sing 'Welcome to the Jungle,' but my dad convinced me to settle for 'Patience.' And I remember when all the other girls wanted to be fairies and princesses for Halloween, I wanted to be all those rock stars. I was five or six years old and I remember my mom asking me what I wanted to be and I said, 'Mommy, I want to be Alice Cooper,' and I was. Every year after that, I was one of the rock legends. I'd put on little shows in the living room. My mom and dad probably still have the videos somewhere."

Bucky loved how excitedly she was talking. Ever since she'd found out that she would see her family again, she'd been like a blossoming flower, just swelling with joy. Now they were just hours away from her wishes coming true. It had seemed like a pipe dream years before, but they really were just an arm's reach away. He listened to his wife speak, telling stories, and silently admired the patterns of her voice.

Some time later, Carrie began preparing Bucky to meet his in-laws.

"Be nice and proper, especially for my dad. Hold doors, pull out chairs, the whole gentleman thing. I know you're good at that, so it shouldn't be a problem. And make sure to pay attention to grammar. My mom's an English teacher, so she loves to correct people. She's not being mean, she just really likes her grammar. And sit up straight-"

She cut herself off suddenly. "Oh, what am I doing? They'll love you. My dad might be a little pissed knowing that you got me pregnant, but I'm sure he'll come around eventually."

Bucky curled his arm around his wife. "Hey, don't worry. I'll sit through as many family dinners as I need to to get along with your family, and I will _enjoy_ it. They made you. They can't be that bad."

"Okay. You used to play a little basketball, right? Maybe you could take on my little brother. He was best on his team when I was there. I hope he didn't quit."

"That's a great idea."

In truth, Bucky was a little apprehensive about meeting the family. He might not have felt so nervous, only he knew how much it meant to Carrie. And with his less-than-desirable track record, he knew they'd have every reason to hate him. They'd agreed before that they would only tell them what they needed to know, but if they asked questions, they'd try to tell as much truth as possible. Carrie assured him that even if they did disapprove, it wouldn't change anything between them. Still, he didn't want to add family tensions to Carrie's long list of sorrows.

He had to put his best foot forward, for Carrie, and so Danny wouldn't have to live in a feuding family. Relax, it's going to be fine. They'd gone over everything a million times before, prepared for every possible scenario. He'd even shaved and had Carrie trim his hair (Carrie couldn't bear to cut it all off).

They were dropped off at a secure, secluded location and allowed to use a van to eliminate the remaining distance between them and Anderson. Their destination was several hours away and the sun was setting- just as they'd planned. They knew the risks of being spotted by Hydra were real, so they used the dark of night to conceal them as an added precautionary measure.

Danny woke up briefly to be fed and changed, then was lulled back to sleep by the hum of the van, along with her mother. Bucky only woke her when they drew closer to town. Hydra could be watching for her to return home, so Carrie tuned in so she could try to locate any Hydra minds that could be nearby. She sensed no such minds, but that couldn't guarantee that they weren't there. They would have to stay alert during their visit.

By the time they turned into the street of the given address, it was well after 11 at night. Carrie got that same anticipating face she'd gotten the first time he'd brought her to her. Bucky hoped to God that this time she wasn't going to be let down. Danny peacefully woke as the van came to a stop in the driveway and Carrie's hands trembled as she stepped up to the front door of the charming suburban house.

She could see that a couple of lights were on inside. It was a weekend, so the Mortels were probably being night owls. She knew her mother would be startled when she knocked on the door at this hour. She knew her father would grouchily get up to answer it and go tell of whoever was bothering them so late. However, when the door swung open, Neil Mortel's aggravated expression softened.

Carrie feared she had given her father a heart attack on the spot. He froze and held his hand over his chest. For a moment, he was unable to find his voice. All he could mutter was a faint, "Emily! Come quick!"

Carrie awkwardly tried to put up a smile, but when she heard her mother's "Neil, what is the world is going o-" and saw her mother freeze like her father, she fell to pieces.

"Mom!" she cried and threw her arms around her parents. Three fell into a fit of bittersweet sobbing, wet kisses, and tight embraces. Carrie's knees wobbled underneath her body and she almost fell, but her parents helped bring her back up. They could hardly breathe they were so overcome with emotion.

"Joey! Come out here now! There's something you need to see!"

They released their hug so she could get a look at her brother who came out with a bewildered expression until he saw his sister.

"Carrie!" he exclaimed.

"You're not a little shrimp anymore!" Carrie teased with tears blurring her vision. The little wimpy kid she once called her brother was gone and in his place stood a tall, muscular but still boyish jock figure.

"Where the Hell have you been?" asked Joey as he was pulled into a hug by his sister.

"It's a long story," answered Carrie, wiping the tears from her face, "But there's something I need to show you first. Wait here." She knew Bucky was grinning while he watched the whole ordeal from the driveway.

Carrie collected herself and stepped out for a second to wave Bucky up with the baby. She took a deep breath as they stepped into the light from the doorway. Attempting to be as delicate as possible, she kept her tone calm, "There are some people I want you to meet. Mom, Dad, Joey, this is my husband, Bucky, and our daughter Danielle."

Her mother looked like she was about to faint.

Her father looked like his veins were going to burst out of his forehead.

"Fuck. I'm an uncle," said her brother.

"Can we come inside?" Carrie asked timidly.

"Of course you can," said her mother, waving them in.

"There's a LOT of explaining to do," stated her father. Carrie could have sworn she saw her father bare his teeth at Bucky as he walked by.

"I know some people thought I ran away. I didn't. I was kidnapped. Bucky was taken, too. He helped me escape," Carrie explained as they all sat around the dining room table. She secretly begged that her family hadn't watched the news enough to recognize Bucky as the Winter Soldier who had bombed the UN. A glove concealing his metal hand could only do so much and the goal here was to make him look as good as possible.

"And you just had time to get hitched and have a kid while you were gone _?_ " questioned her father, trying to keep his fury in check. His wife patted his knee trying to calm him and get him to stop being such an asshole to their daughter whom they thought they'd lost.

"We were sort of on the run for a while. The… people who took us are still looking for us. We only recently discovered your location," explained Bucky.

"We went back to the old house, but the people who lived there said you were gone. It wasn't until we met with some of Bucky's friends that we were able to find you. They helped us when Danny was born."

"Christ. I am too old for this spy movie shit," said Mr. Mortel.

"How old is the baby?" asked Mrs. Mortel.

"Six months," Bucky said in his well-rehearsed answer.

"Well, do I get to hold her?" asked Mrs. Mortel eagerly. Bucky handed the bay over. "She's beautiful. She has your eyes, Caroline."

Danny cooed at her grandmother, casting her spell, and Mrs. Mortel was instantly in love. "So the most important question now is: are you okay?"

"Yes, we're all fine."

"What did they do to you while you were there? Did they hurt you?" asked Mr. Mortel, his anger slowly dimming.

"Not really. They needed me."

"Needed you?" her mother asked, concern growing.

Carrie sighed, "Do you remember, just before I was taken, all those weird things that kept happening? The time that car with the drunk driver almost hit me and Joey when we were out riding bikes."

They all nodded and Joey finished the story, "The car was headed in my direction, but then it just turned at went the other way until it ran into that telephone pole."

"No one was ever able to explain why. We just took it as a miracle. And there was that time where Dad almost got crushed under the car as he was working on it. Mom, we pulled him out, but we could never explain how the car never fell down on him completely."

"I remember that. I've never been so scared in my life, until we lost you," added Mr. Mortel.

"Yeah then we all started having the same dreams. Remember the dream where Steven Tyler invited us to his house?"

Mr. Mortel grinned fondly at the memory.

"Yes, honey, but what does that have to do with anything?" asked Mrs. Mortel.

"That's why I was taken: for my abilities." Carrie stood. "Now, whatever you see, just please, don't scream."

She simply raised her hands and the dining room table lifted off the ground. The family marveled at the sight. Danny gave an uncoordinated clap, and her parents smiled at her. Carrie intentionally played up her hand movements to show that she was controlling the table, then set it back down. Joey was the first to speak.

"That is some Avengers-grade shit right there." Oh, Joey, if only you knew how right you are.

Mr. Mortel turned to Bucky and said, "And you, can you make things float too?"

"No, she's unique in that way and many more. You should see everything she can do; it's amazing."

"Please share with us. What else can you do, Carrie?" inquired her father.

" _I can communicate with people through my mind_ ," she whispered into their brains, causing everyone but Bucky to jump.

"I need a drink," said Mr. Mortel.

"Me too," said Joey.

"Don't even think about it," said Mrs. Mortel.

"Aw let him have his fun, Emily. This has been an exceptional night for all of us. I think he'll survive with one beer."

She pointed a finger at her son, "Don't make a habit of this," then she got up to pour herself a tall glass of wine as well. When she returned, she voiced another concern she had, "So now that you're here, you're going to stay, aren't you?"

Carrie and Bucky made eye contact and communicated a whole conversation's worth in that one look. "I'm sorry. We can't."

Mr. Mortel stepped up near his daughter, which made Bucky tense up a bit, seeing the father's irritation.

"You can't do this to us, Carrie. You can't just swing by, say, 'Hi, I've got powers, a husband, and a kid,' and then leave. We spent too much time looking for you to start worrying about you all over again."

"I know, Dad, but we're only putting you in danger by being here. I almost didn't come at all because I thought it was too risky, but I couldn't stand being away from you another minute."

"Then stay," pleaded her father. Suddenly, it seemed all his years came rushing to him and he looked so much older, and so hurt.

Carrie took her father's hands and sat him down. "The people who took me are very, very dangerous. We don't think we were followed here, but we can't be sure. If they find out we were here, they will find you and they will kill you, or keep you hostage, or God-knows-what. You have keep your guard up."

"Well can't we go to the police?" inquired her mother.

"The police are little or no help to us. These people are very powerful and outnumber the police by many," explained Bucky.

"So what are we supposed to do? Baby, I don't know if I could live with myself if I let you go again," said Mrs. Mortel.

"Well, we've worked out two possible solutions. The first, you could go on living your lives as you have, pretending like we were never here. We'd come visit as often as we could, increasing the chances of putting you in danger each time. The second, you could come with us. There's a safe place you could stay, but we don't know when or _if_ you could ever come back here. You'd have to uproot your whole lives here, but you'd get a chance to start new ones where we'll go." Seeing the distressed faces of her family, she simply said, "Why don't we put Danny to bed while you guys talk it over?" and she and Bucky shuffled off to the living room to make up a makeshift bed on the floor with soft couch blankets.

They laid on the floor beside each other with their daughter in between as she slowly stopped her playful kicking and relaxed. Carrie and Bucky looked into each other's eyes and spoke to each other without ever opening their mouths.

" _What do you think they're going to choose?_ " Bucky asked, focusing on the things he wanted to say.

"I don't know," she answered, picking up on his message and projecting her words into his head. Over time getting so close to each other, they found these telepathic conversations effortless and enjoyable. It seemed special that they had such a bond, and were the only two people in the world who could do what they did.

" _What do you want them to choose?"_

" _I don't know._ "

* * *

"Okay, it's settled. We all leave tomorrow," Mr. Mortel announced.

"Oh, but Joey, what about Chrissy?"

"Meh. I was gonna break up with her anyway."

"Bucky, honey, why don't you get some sleep? You have to drive tomorrow," suggested Carrie.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"It's okay. I promise we won't doodle on your face while you're asleep."

"Well that's a relief," he joked, then gave in and rested on the couch beside Danny.

Joey had gone to bed. When she felt him fall asleep, she sat down with her parents at the table and decided to pull out all the arguments she'd prepared. If she could see all the wonderful things about Bucky, she could make them see too. "I know I'm young, but he's better than anything I could've asked for, and he's great with the baby. It took some time to learn, but from the beginning, he's always adored her."

"Baby, you're not even old enough to drink yet," said her father.

"It's a good thing I don't want to drink then," she teased.

"I'm serious. I mean, how old is that guy?"

"Okay, yeah, he's old, but he has the makeup of someone a lot younger." It wasn't a lie.

"And what about the baby?" asked Mrs. Mortel.

"She was a pleasant surprise. Trust me, we talked about it like mature adults, and we took every precaution, but life found a way and we're happy to have her."

"We love her too, but are you sure you're ready for parenting, both of you?"

"Well it's kinda too late to worry about that now. We've been doing fine. Look, our baby's alive. We're doing our best, and I learned from great examples." Please, oh please, let the flattery work.

"We're not saying you've been doing a bad job, we just want to make sure you're ready to live with the choices you've made." There it was, Carrie was a teenage girl again getting the "birds and the bees" talk from her parents.

"I know, but you've got to understand, when we escaped, we were both totally alone. We helped each other survive. He's kind and selfless and brave and loyal. You've seen me with the neighborhood boys. You know I never let a man talk down to me. He's a really good guy. He's a veteran."

All of a sudden, those imaginary talks with her family she once had became real. She told them her story (with some minor editing) and slowly, they came to believe her. The final bit of evidence, though, came straight from Bucky when he didn't even realize it. Danny stirred in her sleep and make the quietest of cries. Bucky leaped off the couch with lightning speed and instantly tended to his infant's needs. He did his job as a father quickly, with no complaints, and with the all the gentleness his child needed. When he was done and they had gone back to sleep, he still kept close to Danny in case she needed him again. The whole exchange was normal to Carrie, but her parents were impressed. He still hadn't quite mastered the art of diaper changing, but the pure protective instinct anyone could see he had for his baby was a gem.

"Really, Mom, Dad, he just wants to be part of the family. He doesn't have any of his own left. He's been trying really hard and I think if you just give him a chance, you'll see how awesome he is."

Mr. Mortel gave her his inescapable stare. "You love him?"

Without even blinking, she said, "I do." And for good measure she added, "He's a fan of the Eagles."

"Well bring him in the family! Why didn't you say that in the first place?"


End file.
